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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 







IDENTITY 



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OTROPIC CONDITIONS. 



BY 



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IDENTITY 



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TITUSVILLE, PA. : 

Graham & Lake, Printers. 

1879. 




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Some twenty or thirty years ago, by the mistake of a 
person who was attending me in a sickness, I took twelve 
doses of quinine at a single dose. 

The medicine threw me into a delirious, half-conscious 
sleep, and for two or three hours a running flood of pano- 
ramic pictures seemed to pass before my eyes, accompanied 
with humming, ringing and other noises in my ears. 

The pictures that flashed before my vision were pic^ 
tures of events in my past life, one moment accurately and 
well defined as from memory, but oftener in detached, dis- 
connected parts, disarranged as to time and position, and 
in a sad jumble. 

Some of the noises in my head were as loud as the re- 
port of a pistol, then like a band of music, quickly chang- 
ing to a hum or ringing sound. I had attended a circus 
and caravan not long previous and circus scenes and 
show ' were inter jumbled with work, study, plays and 
griefs, some in mere passing glimpses, others clear and well 
denned. 

For about a week afterward I could reproduce pano. 
ramie pictures in my eyes by merely pressing the eye-ball 
with my finger. 

By pinching my ear, or pressing my skull back of my 
ears I could reproduce sounds in my ears that for a moment 
seemed as natural as actual sounds. 

Organic forces have always been my favorite study 
and the phenomena of reproducing panoramic pictures in 
my eyes by the mere pressure of the finger impressed me 
very strongly with the notion that light and nerve forces 
were identical. 



Introduction. 



All the knowledge which I have since acquired of the 
phenomena of light, and the phenomena of nerve force, 
have served to confirm this notion. 

Some of the facts and phenomena which have served 
to confirm this notion of their identity are presented in 
this pamphlet. 

Of the three prominent phases of identity I have in 
this pamphlet dwelt more especially on the phase that is 
manifest in mental phenomena — instinct, sensation, knowl- 
edge, and memory. 

The influence of nerve force on muscles and locomo- 
tion, and its influence on the propagation and growth of 
organic life, will be discussed more fully in a future edition 
in connection with a discussion of the nature of muscular 
force. 



(ilentifii 0J[ ||igltt anil Jjferue JjWce. 



In asserting the absolute identity of light and the force 
that traverses the nerves of animal life, their identity is to 
be understood in the same sense as we understand the iden- 
tity of galvanic and frictional electricity; identical in the 
same sense in which heat eliminated by combustion and 
heat held in the dormant state, as in ice water, is identical : 
identical in the same sense in which brown elastic sulphur 
is identical with flowers of sulphur; identical in the same 
sense in winch hard, solid ice is identical with fluid water. 

In these examples of the same elements and material 
substance manifesting very different properties, we catch a 
glimpse of what is understood as allotropic conditions of 
matters. While in these examples of what are considered 
different phases of the same force, we obtain also a glk-npse 
of what I have termed allotropic conditions of force. In 
these conditions we have manifestations of different prop- 
erties and effects by the same force, and manifestations of 
different properties by the same substance ; these being 
allotropic connections of force and allotropic conditions of 
matter. All the facts and phenomena presented by philos- 
ophers of the transmutation of one kind of matter into 
another, or of the conversion of one kind of energy into 
another, are susceptible of explanation by the universal 
principle of allotropic change — not from one imponderable 
agent into another, but of a change into five distinct modes 
of manifestations. 

The dividing line between the animate and the inani- 
mate, the living and the dead, the line between the organic 
and inorganic, is definite, abrupt and absolute, wholly and 
entirely dependent and founded on the principles of allo- 
tropic conditions. 

Heat that is radiated on the untamed energy of a sun- 
beam, or the rays of a burning fire, becomes in another 
condition the mild, genial warmth of animal life. 

Electricity, which in one condition dashes with light- 



Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



ning glare from cloud to earth, rending and tearing both 
organic and inorganic, becomes in another condition the 
harnessed steed that a child may guide through all the in- 
tricate turns of a metal wire. 

Light, which in one condition dashes through space two 
hundred thousand miles a second, becomes in organic life 
the enrolling assent of instinct, sensation, thought and 
memory, as well as the induction spark for allotropic 
transitions to determine locomotion and growth. 

Around this central fact of allotropic (mange, and condi- 
tions are grouped the molecules and forces of organic life. 

The general reader might at first form a more definite 
conception of nerve force if T had confined this discussion 
of the force entirely to phenomena that are the direct re- 
sults of nerve influence; but as the force that traverses the 
nerves of animal life is a force that is no more confined to 
the nerves than electricity is confined to telegraph wires, 
no more confined to nervous matter than heat is confined 
furnaces, a discussion of nerves would give but a very 
narrow conception of the wonderful adaptation of sunlight 
to organic life, or the broad range of the agent contained 
in nerves. 

Those who are at all familiar with the structure and 
functions of animal life, know that the human system, and 
animals that have a. back bone, are provided with an elabo- 
rate system of nerves leading from the spinal marrow to 
every part of their bodies — not only to the skin, but the 
teeth tissues, bones, muscles, arteries, veins, heart, stomach, 
every part is provided with pairs of these lines through 
which both sensation and force are transmitted. 

The function of digestion is controlled by the force that 
traverses the nerves of the stomach : breathing, the beating 
of the heart, motion of the arm, and all vital as well as 
muscular motions are so completely linked with and de- 
pendent on the agent that traverses the different nerves 
that the study of any phenomena of organic life necessi- 
tates a study of the influence and relations of nerve force. 

Physiologists have discovered that all the nerves that 
ramify through the animal structure invariably lead to the 
different part in pairs; one line of the pair being white, 
and the other a greyish white fibre. They have also ascer- 
tained that the white nerve is more especially the nerve of 



In Allotropic Conditions. 



sensation, and the grey one the nerve line for transmitting 
force. It is also known that the presence and healthy 
condition of each of the pair is essential to the performance 
of a function or vital act. 

The force that traverses the nerves of the living animal, 
directing growth and locomotion, beating of the heart, 
breathing, digestion, and all vital acts, vanishes from our 
grasp at death, and we ask ourselves what has become of it? 

There are two theories offered at the present day in 
answer to this question ; one theory asserts that the force 
or influence that traverses the nerves of animal life has no 
distinct or absolute existence. That all our conceptions of 
what are called imponderable agents, such as heat and light, 
and nerve force as distinct existences, are myths ofg the 
imagination. 

They further assert that these myths have neither iorm, 
position, nor tangible existence. That heat and light and 
nerve phenomena are merely modes of motion, merely rela- 
tive changes of position of inolecules produced by the clash 
of atoms , that these mythical agents that appear one 
moment as heat, or light, are modifications of momentum, 
one modification appearing as heat, another as vitality, 
another as light, each modification of energy being trans- 
mutable into magnetism, heat, nerve influence, or other 
known agent or throb. That at the death of an animal its 
nerve force is blotted out and transmuted into some other 
mode of energy. 

In an article on vitality the celebrated John Tyndall 
says: 

" The origin, growth and energies of living things are 
subjects which have always engaged the attention of think- 
ing men. To account for them it was usual to assume a 
special agent, free to a great extent from the limitations 
observed among the powers of inorganic nature. This 
agent was called the vital force ; and under its influence 
plants and animals were supposed to collect their materials 
and to assume determinate forms. Within the last few 
years, however, our ideas of vital processes have under- 
gone profound modifications.' ' 

"A few years ago when the sun was affirmed to be the 
source of life, nine out of ten of those who are alarmed by 
the form which this assertion has latterly assumed would 



Identity of Light and Ntrve Force 



have assented in a general way to its correctness. Their 
assent, however, was more poetic than scientific, and they 
were by no means prepared to see a rigid mechanical sig- 
nification attached to their words." "To most minds, 
however, the energy of light and heat presents itself as a 
thing totally distinct from ordinary mechanical energy. 
But either of them can be derived from the other. Wood 
can be raised by friction to the temperature of ignition ; 
while by properly striking a piece of iron a skillful black- 
smith can cause it to glow. Thus by the rude agency of 
his hammer he generates light and heat. This action, if 
carried far enough, would produce the light and heat of 
the sun." "If, then, solar light and heat can be produced 
by the impact of dead matter, and if from the light and 
heat thus produced, we can derive the energies which we 
have been accustomed to call vital, it indubitably follows 
that vital energy may have a proximately mechanical 
origin." Tyndall in Fragments of Science ; article Vitality. 

The other view of light and heat and all imponderable 
agents, utterly discards the notion that a fraction of heat, 
or light, or vitality, or any other so-called imponderable 
agent, ever has been, or ever can be generated by the blow 
of a hammer, the combustion of elements, the impact 
of planets, condensation of nebula, or any other possible 
clash of atoms or worlds. It asserts the absolute existence 
of these agents as inconvertible, indestructible existences, 
as mutual counterparts of material substances, and declares 
that the movement and phenomena both of organic and in- 
organic matter is governed and controlled through the 
medium of these agents. This view of imponderable 
agents asserts that the so-called generation or production 
of heat by a hammer's blow, is only a mode, and only one 
of the several modes, of developing heat that already 
*jexits; ;and it further asserts that no vitality or. other im- 
ponderable agent can be produced or generated by the 
clash of atoms, in any other sense than to render manifest 
what already exists ; that all of these agents are already in 
existence and may be developed and guided into new chan- 
nels to influence and control in succession different forms 
of matter. 

In this discussion of nerve force this last view is the 



In Allotropic Conditions. 



one adopted, and nerve force treated as an absolute indes- 
tructible existence. 

The analysis of the phenomena of life, shows that what 
was formerly called vital force, instead of being a single 
and distinct force, is an aggregate of several distinct forces, 
each having its own peculiar modes of development, and 
producing its own peculiar phenomena. 

That heat as a distinct force is essential to animal life is 
generally admitted, and can be easily proved ; but that 
animal heat is different from sun's heat, or the heat of 
combustion, has never been asserted or suggested ; and so of 
the force that traverses the nerves of animal life, what is 
here asserted of this force is that it is simply an allotropic 
condition of light ; that the agent is identically light, in 
the same sense that heat contained in water is identically 
the same agent that will cause expansion of a bar of iron. 

The discussion of the transmutation of forces is omitted 
here, for the reason that there is not an unchallenged fact 
yet offered in support of transmutation. 

The assumption that vital actions of organized life are 
brought about by the drifting impact of material masses, 
atoms, or ethers, impinging on complicated combinations 
of matter to produce the functions and phenomena of 
human life is too indefinite for discussion. 

Light from the sun impinges on the sides of mountains, 
on the earth's surface, on the waters of the ocean, and at 
first view, seems in many cases to be blotted out of exis- 
tence. We may light, and put out an electric light, or 
even a common gas light hundreds of times a minute and 
each time that it is re-lighted, it sends rays of light in 
every direction, filling the entire unobstructed space for 
miles, and we ask ourselves, what has become of the light 
thus distributed by the ignited gas or incandescent carbon ? 
or what becomes of the impinging sunlight that is con- 
stantly received by the earth ? When sunlight impinges 
on a lake or body of clear water the fluid becomes illumin- 
ated to a considerable depth, it is not all blotted out at the 
surface as appears when it strikes the solid earth, but fades 
out gradually. A bright coin, fish and other objects in 
clear water may sometimes be seen twenty, thirty, or fifty 
feet below the surface; the greater part of the light, how- 
ever is absorbed near the surface arid as it penetrates the 



10 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



fluid it all gradually becomes absorbed, but the moment 
that the source of illumination is shut off, the water be- 
comes blackened with darkness, just as a room becomes 
blackened with darkness, so that the question still arises, 
what has become of the absorbed light ? 

There are some bodies, like the diamond, loaf sugar, 
some kinds of spar, and others, that will absorb light, and 
then when the source of light is cut off, will emit the ab- 
sorbed light for hours afterwards, but the earth, water and 
most substances will continue for ages to absorb and still 
not emit the absorbed light, and it is of these we ask our- 
selves what has become of the absorbed light ? 

From what has already been said of the allotropic con- 
ditions of force, the reader will not be surprised at the posi- 
tion taken, or the views now offered respecting the myste- 
rious energy, or agent, light. 

This position is, that the force that traverses the nerves 
oi animals is an allotropic condition of light. 



Allotropic Conditions of Matter and Allotropic 
Conditions of Force. 

In order to follow or trace the nature of light in nerve 
force with satisfaction, the general reader should under- 
stand what is meant by allotropic conditions of matter and 
allotropic conditions of force, and it is desirable that there 
should be no hidden or mystified meaning attached to 
the term allotropic. 

As applied to material substance, it simply means that 
the same substance may and does exist in different condi- 
tions by which they manifest different properties. Carbon, 
for example, may exist in the form of glittering diamonds, 
or it may exist in the condition of coal. Sulphur is 
familiar in three conditions — flowers of sulphur, stick or 
roll sulphur, and as flexible sulphur wax. Phosphorus is 
known as stick or common phosphorus, red phosphorus, 
and in another state as fluid phosphorus. 

Oxygen is known as atmospheric oxygen, and as ozone. 
Water is known in the fluid condition, in the solid- condi- 
tion, as ice, and in the gaseous condition, as steam. 



In Alloiropic Conditions. 11 



These are well known conditions of the several bodies, 
that are convertible conditions, as of ice into water, and 
water into steam, and steam into ice or water. 

Allotropic conditions, as applied to forces, or imponder- 
able agents, means simply their different modes of manifes- 
tation. Thus heat is manifest in the sunbeam, traveling 
two hundred thousand miles a second, the radiant mode. 
It is manifest when passing along a metal rod less than 
a foot a second, the conducting mode. 

Heat is also known in the dormant, inactive condition, 
as in ice water. 

Electricity is familiar as surface electricity, and as cur- 
rent electricity. 

Magnetism is familiar as localized in steel magnets, and 
in another condition, as enveloping the earth, and in 
another condition as conducted by, or with voltaic currents. 
Light is well known as fluorescent, phosphorescent, and 
radiant light. 

This brief statement gives but a mere glimpse of the 
allotropic conditions of matter, and force. The primary 
elements that enter into and form the structures of organic 
life have five distinct states or conditions, and the forces 
that are manifest in the processes of organic life have five 
distinct modes of manifestation. 

Material substance, and immaterial forces are mutual 
counterparts. Whenever a primary element absorbs and 
retains an imponderable agent, the agent produces an allo- 
tropic change in the condition of the substance ; and when- 
ever a material substance discharges an immaterial agent 
that it has absorbed and retained, the allotropic condition ol 
the imponderable agents becomes changed and it becomes 
manifest in a different mode of manifestation, 

This brief summary of allotropic conditions, and allo- 
tropic relation of forces and matter, will prepare the reader 
for the statement now made, that Light, as well as all 
other imponderable agents have five distinct modes* of 
manifestation. 

What is here asserted of light in this connection is 
that light passes from the radiant mode as manifest in the 
sunbeam, and becomes manifest in each of the other modes 
in organic life ; that it traverses the nerves of animal life 
by conduction by virtue of its polarization, but that the 



12 Identity of Light and Ntrve Force 



same force may be traced in the vegetable in their mole- 
cules, and in their instincts ; that the nerve current em- 
braces each and all of the members of the sunbeams 
group — its heat, its re-arranging force, its obscure and 
nonluminous rays, and also its property of enrolling 
knowledge. 

From this brief statement of some of the allotropic 
states in which the primary elements are known to exist, it 
will be seen that the same elements not only present differ- 
ences of molecular structure, appreciable by the senses, as 
of hardness, color, flexibility, crystalline structure, &c, &c; 
but both the elements and their combinations exhibit dif- 
ferent affinities, being in one allotropic condition devoid of 
chemical affinity, while in another condition they show an 
intense affinity. The allotropic conditions of matter and 
the allotropic conditions of force forms the dividing line 
between the organic and inorganic world. 

The change of matter from one allotropic condition to 
another develops the forces engaged in the various proces- 
ses of organic life. The allotropic condition of matter of 
organic substance being totally different from the allotropic 
condition of inorganic substance. 



Allotropic Properties of Forces. 

At first view imponderable agents in their different 
allotropic states seem like distinct agents, but as we examine 
them attentively we discover analogous or homologous 
properties, and it is a well recognized fact that each im- 
ponderable agent is adapted to a particular .class of duties, 
and each agent performs its own peculiar work ; so that 
magnetism adheres to its own duties, and never expands 
bodies like heat, and heat never attracts bodies like magnet- 
ism. If we turn to the phenomena of light and fix our 
attention on some prominent property or properties of light, 
and assume that this prominent property exists in each of 
the allotropic conditions of" light, then the property in each 
phase would have a marked family resemblance. 

If we- ask ourselves, what is the most prominent prop- 
erty of light, the answer that immediately occurs is, 



In Allotropic Conditions. V6 



the property of illumination ; the property of rendering 
objects visible ; forming a medium, of communion between 
matter outside of ourselves and our perceptions ; a medium 
that enables us to apprehend the presence of distant 
objects. And if we turn to oar nerve force, we find that it 
also enables us to apprehend and recognize the presence of 
objects at the different parts of the body ; a percipient 
medium between our inner selves and what will cause pain 
or pleasure on our outer selves. 

In other words, light outside of the body is a medium 
of intelligence, and an allotropic condition of the same 
agent transmits intelligence within the body. Light gath- 
ers, enrolls, and transmits infoi mation to the body and the 
nerve force performs identical duties within the body. 



Light Gathers Information, Enrolls Knowledge and 
Embodies Actual Force. 

There are three common and well known properties of 
light that are well known properties of nerve force, and can 
also be traced in other allotropic conditions of the agent. 

: These three properties are, property of gathering infor- 
mation, enrolling knowledge, and manifesting actual force. 
And these are the prominent properties of nerve force. 

In analyzing light, we find that these three qualities, or 
properties, may be separated and detached from each other. 
And we also find that in the nerve force these qualities are 
separated by polarization ; the sentient side or quality being 
found in the sentient nerves, while the qualities of force 
are found in the motor nerves, the two classes of nerves 
having mutual poralized relations to each other. 

Light itself is invisible, no more to be seen than heat, 
or magnetism, or even the ultimate essence of life. 

It must have something to shine upon to become visi- 
ble, and in this case we do not see the light, but we see the 
object illuminated. It is the agent that reveals their 
properties of form and color ; it carries information and 
knowledge of their qualities. A beam of sunlight is unseen 
in empty space, but after it enters the atmosphere it gradu- 



14 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



ally becomes luminous or illuminating, and in acquiring 
this illuminating property it becomes polarized. 

Polarized light is light split and divided into two con- 
ditions, each part or condition having distinct qualities. 

Previous to its polarization we know as little of its ulti- 
mate essence as we do of unpolarized electricity. We know 
absolutely nothing ; but in the polarized state a sunbeam is 
the embodiment of most, if not all organic agents ; but we 
know of them only in their polarized state by their influ- 
ence and actions, and not in their previous state. The 
influence and manifestations of not only light but of all 
imponderable agents, is founded on their polarized condi- 
tions, and in and around this central fact all known phe- 
nomena of electricity, of magnetism, of heat, instinct, 
intelligence and life are grouped. 

By the polarization of light two prominent facts appear : 
one is that one side or condition of the polarized light 
reveals to sensitive matter, the properties and qualities of 
objects at a distance ; the other fact is, that the other side 
or condition of the polarized ray induces action in matter 
in accord with the sensitive prehensions or informations 
respecting qualities and properties ot distant objects. One 
side of the ray carries information and knowledge of quali- 
ties or distant matter, and the other side carries force 
suitable and adapted to render that information and knowl- 
edge useful. 

These two conditions of a polarized ray are as readily 
separated in position from each other as the two polarized 
conditions of voltaic electricity are from each other ; and, 
like the two conditions of electricity they cannot be entirely 
detached, but will maintain a correspondence and relation 
to each other ; the positive or negative condition of one 
battery refuses to work with a counterpart condition of a 
separate or detached battery, it will only perform work in 
conjunction with its own counterpart. And so of a ray of 
light, the two conditions cannot be so separated as to destroy 
their correspondence and relation to each other. 

Light Embodies Both Knowledge and Fokce. 

The gases and motes of the atmosphere polarize light 
and impart to it its illuminating quality and give to the sky 



In Allotropic Conditions. 15 



its blue color. The atoms of the atmospheric gases that 
produce this effect are too small to be visible, but their 
united effect produces day light. The entire mass, how- 
ever, of sunlight does not become polarized by the atmos- 
phere, but only that portion that renders objects visible, 
while one side or part of a ray of polarized light is carrying 
information of qualities, and the other side is carrying a 
condition of force they may be moving in quite different 
directions, substantially as wires from a battery may carry 
the current or the two conditions in different directions, but 
in performing work they must meet and unite again some- 
where, and by their union their manifestations occur. Each 
of these polarized conditions of light may become latent and 
inactive ; the sentient side as knowledge in memory, the 
force side or condition in vitality, as exhibited in dormant 
seeds and eggs. 

In its allotropic state as nerve force, the two polarized 
conditions of light are to be found in the two classes of 
nerves, the sentient and the motor ; substantially as the two 
conditions of electricity are separated, the positive, on one 
plate or wire, and the negative on the other plate or wire. 
Light becomes polarized by refraction, by reflection, and by 
diffraction, and it would seem that the atmosphere polarizes 
it by each of these modes, and that each of these contrib- 
ute "a shape in giving to light its properties of being the 
medium of knowledge and force. 

If we place a penny or other piece of copper in a burn- 
ing fire, and watch it while it is being heated, we shall see 
it emit a bluish green light just before it becomes red-hot ; 
very slight portions of the copper are carried up with the 
coal flame, and it is this burning copper that colors the coal 
light ; to the eye of the experienced metallurgist or copper 
worker this greenish flame is positive evidence of copper 
in the fire. There are no particles of copper transmitted to 
the eye to produce this result, but when the colored light is 
seen by the eye of the worker he perceives the fact of 
burning copper, and this knowledge and information is 
transmitted to him by light. If, instead of copper in the 
fire there had been lead, or iron, or sodium, or some other 
metal, the light emitted by their burning would have shown 
a distinct color for each, and would have carried to the eye 
correct information of their burning. The light emitted by 



Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



the burning copper not only reveals to the eye what is 
burning, but the light also embodies heat and chemical force 
in its rajs. 

Light Enrolls Knowledge and Force. 

The illuminating agent brings information to the eye 
that is absolutely true and perfectly reliable. This infor- 
mation is transmitted not only a few leet, rods, or miles, 
but the information may come millions of miles without 
loss. Rays of light emitted through burning copper or 
other metal or element will bring the information millions 
of miles. A bit of burning copper no larger than a pin's 
head in the sun will write the information on a ray of 
light and the knowledge will come with the ray of light to 
the earth. 

When light carrying information of this kind is passed 
through a thrse cornered piece of glass or prism, different 
parts of the light are refracted more than others producing 
what is called the spectrum in which the decomposed light 
is refracted into a series of colors. These colors are cross- 
ed by what are called Fraunhoffer lines. These lines have 
been minutely studied by Bunsen and KirchofY, and 
although there are thousands of these lines across decom- 
posed or refracted light, each line was found by them to 
indicate a chemical change of an elementary atom ; and 
every material element in the process of chemical change 
when traversed by a ray of light makes a mark or marks 
across the spectrum of the ray and always in the same rela- 
tive position — no other element ever making marks in the 
position pre-empted by another element — each has an ap- 
pointed place to give accurate information of what it has 
done and is doing millions of miles distant ; and although 
the courier dashes through space nearly two hundred thou- 
sand miles a second; the writing or marks of one element 
never gets intertangled with the marks of another sub- 
stance. 

Light may come from burning coal, or iron, or earth, 
copper, gold, salt, any known substance. Each and all will 
have its own appointed position on the courier beam and 
its message comes to the earth accurate and perfectly de- 
fined. Although there are thousands of these Fraunhoffer 



In Allotropic Conditions. 17 



lines across a beam of light, the beam when spread out by 
refraction reveals each line in its true position. These lines 
are sometimes bright, sometimes dark or with intermediate 
colors and shadings, characters which have been, shown to 
be produced, and indicate the character of chemical change, 
whether of intense combustion and emitting their own 
light of combustion, or whether they are absorbing light 
and information from some other source of light — bright 
lines indicating their own combustion. These Fraunhoffer 
lines and spaces between give infallible information of the 
chemical changes and character of substance ; they tell us 
of what elements they are composed, or through what sub- 
stance light is transmitted, whether it is sodium, potash, 
lead, iron, carbon, hydrogen, &c, but this is a kind of infor- 
mation that is more especially important to the chemist — it 
is information of the constitution and internal character of 
substance and is information of the inorganic world. But 
light not only brings information of the internal constitution 
of matter, but it also brings information of superficial and 
external qualities of subjects ; it not only tells of what the 
earth is composed, but it also tells whether it is covered 
with snow, or with trees, of green fields, of houses, of ani- 
mals or people ; it brings information of all the intricate 
qualities of forms, faces, colors, and manners ; everything 
seen by the eye are accurate representations of distant ob- 
jects ; and these delineations are wholly drawn by one side 
or condition of a polarized sunbeam. The delineations by 
polarized light consists of information of external qualities, 
while the EraunhofYer lines are descriptions of internal 
character, and the external descriptions of qualities trans- 
mitted by the courier are not less accurate or reliable than 
the descriptions of internal constitution. When the eye 
is directed towards an object, an exact representation or 
image of the object in miniature is formed on the retina, 
and this image is drawn by one side of a series of divided 
rays. This property of one side of rays of light, describes 
and tells of qualities of horses, trees, people, or other objects 
at a distance ; it embodies knowledge without force, infor- 
mation without material change. Its relation to material 
change is somewhat like our conceptions of induction. 
When we bring a magnet near a piece of iron, the iron will 
seem almost conscious of its presence — the soft iron may 



18 Identity of Light and Nerve Ft 



orce 



not be sensibly moved from its position, bnt the magnet 
has induced a polarization of its substance. A cold body 
by its action would seem to be half conscious of the pres- 
ence of a near hot one, but in these phenomena of inorganic 
actions, it is the force side of a polarized agent that induces 
action. The eye is but one of the windows or organs of 
sense through which knowledge is received. Each 
of the other senses receive information of distant objects 
through the medium of polarized light, but the mode in 
which information reaches them is founded on the allo- 
tropic conditions of light. It has other modes of traveling 
besides the radiating. When a mirror is held before ob- 
jects, we see images of them reflected from its metal sur- 
face. The radiating images of the mirror carry no infor- 
mation that can be recognized by the end of the tongue, 
finger tips, or nerves of the nose. 

The ear is entirely unconscious of flowers, mountains, 
or rainbows. The allotropic mode by which knowledge is 
transmitted to the eye, is incompetent to give information 
to the nerves of the ear or either of the other senses ; yet 
knowledge imparted to the ear by sound, to the hands by 
touch, to the tongue by taste, or to the nose by scent, is 
as accurate as that through the organs of sight. 

Each of the several organs of sense is adapted to receive 
knowledge and information from surrounding objects by 
one, and only one, of the allotropic states or conditions of 
nerve force. As already noticed, imponderable agents act 
by radiation, undulations, conduction, convection, and b}" 
disintegration ; and in the phenomena of human life the 
senses are adapted for receiving impressions by each of 
these modes. 

To the eye knowledge comes on the radiations 
of light — it is adapted to the radiating mode ; to 
the ear, knowledge is imparted by the undulatory 
mode ; the thunder's reverberating roll, the tiger's growl, 
the harmonies of music, and the gentle wooings of love 
reach the drum of the ear on the undulations of material 
substance. And here comes a suggestion that may at first 
appear erroneous and unnecessary. It is that knowledge 
derived from sounds is loaded onto, and carried by vibra- 
tions, but that which reaches the nerves is more subtile 
than vibrations, precisely as information that reaches the 



In AUotropic Conditions. 19 



eye is not mere radiations or undulations of ether. The 
subtile agent that is carried to the ear by atmospheric 
vibrations brings harmonies, melodies and discords in all 
their intricate modifications that represent properties, 
qualities and capacities of organic life, which are received 
and folded on the leaves of memory, remaining dormant 
and inactive as a printed page of music, to be recalled like 
the pictured forms and faces of vision, at the option and 
command of consciousness. 

These subtile qualities and properties of distant objects, 
even while being carried by vibrating waves of sound, may 
be captured by an electrical current, detached from the 
vibrating substance and carried on telephone wires, or 
through the earth circuit without an appreciable vibratory 
swing, hundreds of miles. The vibratory pulsations of 
sound through material substance are the manifestations of 
the force side or condition of a polar force, and this force 
or vibrating condition is linked and accompanied with the 
sentient side or condition of the agent. 

The discussion of the idea of the reception and retention 
in dormant inaction by either of the senses of hearing or see- 
ing, of images, and qualities of distant objects, opens up the 
discussion of the principle that underlies the undulatory 
theory in all its ramifications. Those that can perceive in 
heat only a mere mode of motion of material substance, a 
mere shimmering motion derived from the clash of atoms, 
and ignore the sensations of warmth imparted to organic 
life as intangible myths, or can trace from light nothing but 
undulations of an attenuated ether, ignoring those latent 
images impressed on the canvas of memory through the 
medium of the eye — images that are subject to the roll-call 
of consciousness — -will see in the vibratory motions of 
sound, only the pulsatory movement of material molecules, 
and will look on the latent images of vision, or the treas- 
ured tones of the dead when recalled from the realms of 
dormant sleep, as mere mythical echoes, or non-existent 
delusions. Yet we are surrounded by analogous phe- 
nomena of the junction of the imponderable with the 
ponderable, not only in organic, but also in inorganic 
matter. 

When a magnet is moved near a piece of iron, copper, 
or other metal, the minutest motion of the metal induces 



20 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



invisible movements of imponderable agents conjointly 
with the ponderable. Electricity, and heat, and light, in 
movements far more subtile than the most delicate vibra- 
tions of the metals are conjoined with these movements, 
and are as absolute as the perceptible ones ; or wheu 
water or other substance is evaporated, the volatile mole- 
cules are conjoined with imponderable heat, and both the 
ponderable molecules and the imponderable heat reach the 
sense of feeling, but it is only the imponderable that 
imparts the sensation of warmth. 

The interchanging material elements of a galvanic bat- 
tery are conjoined with the transfer of imponderable agents 
more subtile than the material atoms interchanged ; and so 
with sound, that which reaches consciousness has been 
carried by the vibratory condition of matter, but the infor 
mation imparted through this sense is more subtile than 
mere vibrations. Each distinct sense has distinct modes 
of receiving information and knowledge. The sense of 
smell is wonderfully accurate in dogs and some of the 
lower animals. Information and knowledge is conveyed 
to this sense by convection. The qualities or properties of 
objects are loaded on volatile molecules and brought in 
contact with the nerves of this sense. Then again infor- 
mation and knowledge reaches the sense of taste by still 
another mode ; taste depends on solution and disintegra- 
tion of substance holding properties imparted by the 
sun's rays in a dormant state of inaction. 

If there is anything in the phenomena of animal life 
that is calculated to excite wonder and admiration, it is the 
fact that impalpable daylight should be concentrated into 
a condition to traverse the nerves as nerve force. Yet 
evidence of this fact gathers and accumulates from a great 
many sources. 

We can trace in an almost unbroken line the influence 
of light on the inorganic matter of the earth ; the influ- 
ence of invisible rays of heat from the sun on the roots of 
plants, and the influence of visible rays on the leaves ; 
the absorption of both visible and invisible in the organ- 
ism ; the direct influence of light on leaf and flower, and 
the direct influence of light on the organs of vision, and on 
the skin of animals. 

The direct influence of light on the skin or eyes of 



In Allotropic Conditions. 21 



animals frequently produces effects so closely resembling 
those produced by the nerves that different observers differ 
as to whether they are caused by direct light, or by the 
nerves. This is the case in the movements of different 
parts of the eye ; the humors, coatings and lens of the eye 
have the property of spontaneous adaptation to near or 
distant objects, and to bright or dim lights. 

A person standing before a looking glass in a dimly 
lighted room can see the curtain or colored part of his eye 
spontaneously shutting off a part of the light when the 
light of the room is suddenly increased. 

The remarkable effect of light on those small lazards 
known as chameleons, has in all ages excited the wonder 
and curiosity of the student. Their skins acquire a great 
variety of rainbow tints, both by the influence of light and 
also when irritated. Their colors rapidly change from 
grey to yellow, green, brown, violet,* with intermediate 
spots and changeable variegations. If one part of their 
bodies only is exposed to light, that part, or perhaps some 
other part, becomes spotted. If one eye is exposed to light 
some part of its body changes its hue. Somewhat similar 
changes of color, in an inferior degree may be seen on the 
skins of the common tree frog, as well as many water 
animals. Light, the electric spark, a live coal and other 
irritants induce changes in various colors in these low 
animals, • and it might be a difficult question to decide 
whether the effect is from direct light, or from the influence 
of nerves, or whether both direct light and indirect light 
through the nerves contribute a share ; but in either case 
the effects are at the border line between direct radiations 
and the allotropic condition of the same agent by conduc- 
tion through the nerves. 

The influence of light, in changing the colors of flowers 
and leaves of plants, and its influence in changing the 
color of the skins of animal life is not phenomenal or 
confined to low orders of animals, but affects the highest, 
while the sudden change of color from rage, hate, grief, 
joy, anticipation, or disappointment through the nerves is 
familiar to all. 

In order to form a true conception of what light is 
capable of doing in its allotropic condition of nerve force, 
we must fix in our minds the fact that it is an indestruc- 



2 2 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



tible energy, constantly existing in a variety of forms ; 
sometimes radiating through space with inconceivable 
velocity ; sometimes permeating the soil at an almost snail 
like pace in conjunction with warmth; sometimes moving 
through the pores of vegetation, or the veins of animal life 
in conjunction with their vital fluids; sometimes traversing 
the pearly nerve fibres as quick as thought, and reaching 
remote parts of the system along these conducting lines, 
and then also remember that it is sometimes as inactive as 
the latent heat contained in a pail of water. These several 
modes in which light becomes manifest, carry the three 
qualities of gathering information, enrolling knowledge, 
and embodying force, and enables the self-same agent to 
produce phenomena of intelligence and power in organic 
molecules and structures devoid of nerves — vegetable 
instincts and forces being founded on allotromc conditions 
of the same agent that imparts animal intelligence 

The allotropic conditions of light are manifested in five 
distinct modes, and it is a significant fact that these five 
modes correspond in number, and are adapted to the five 
senses of man. These five modes are the radiating, the per- 
meating or vibrating, the convecting, the conducting and the 
latent. The radiating mode is adapted to vision, to the 
sense of seeing ; the permeating or vibrating is adapted to 
the sense of hearing ; the mode bv convection is adapted to 
the sense of smelling ; the mode by conduction is adapted 
to the sense of feeling, while its existence in the latent 
mode is adapted to the sense of taste. In considering these 
five modes, we must bear in mind that it is only the illumi- 
nating part of the sun's rays that render objects visible to 
the eye ; and that less than one-third of the sunbeam is 
adapted to the sense of seeing ; and we must also bear in 
mind that the sun's rays in space are non-luminous; that 
they must impinge on the substance of the atmosphere to 
acquire the illuminating quality adapted to the sense of % 
vision. By keeping these facts in view, we shall be better 
prepared for the statement now made, that the invisible 
rays acquire an adaptation to each of the other senses by 
transmission through other conditions of matter ; the 
transparent gases of the atmosphere adapts a portion of 
the sun's rays to vision, but that other forms and conditions 
of matter adapt the non-luminous rays for transmitting the 



In Allotropic Conditions. 23 



knowledge of qualities of objects to each of the other 
senses. 



What is Light ? 

The question is frequently asked, what is light ? And 
many attempts have been made to answer it. By some, 
light is called an attenuated substance ; by others it is 
called an attenuated motion. The difficulties connected 
with either view are appalling ; and it is doubtful if either 
the emission theory of an attenuated substance, or the 
undulatory theory of an attenuated motion gives us any 
deeper or clearer insight into the nature of light than is 
obtained by simple observation. Our eyes, by the emission 
theory, are pelted by the attenuated atoms of matter dis- 
charged by combustion and impinging on our optic nerves 
with a velocity of one hundred and eighty thousand miles a 
second. The battering force of these impinging atoms has 
been variously estimated and calculated by mathematicians, 
and by these estimates the impinging force of the atoms 
would far exceed the force imparted to matter by gun- 
powder. The most attenuated matter known is hydrogen, 
and if this substance was driven with the velocity of light 
against our bodies, they would melt, vaporize and vanish 
in thin air in a very few minutes. 

We cast our eyes around us in every direction, and 
light from millions of objects reach our vision, depicting 
their forms and colors on the retina. The light for these 
images may pass through glass, water or other transparent 
substance ; it may be sifted, or it may be absorbed for days 
or years, and yet no substance that can be called light has 
ever yet been caught for examination. Then again sub- 
stance may be burned in a glass vessel emitting an intense 
light in every direction, and the carbonic acid or othsr 
material products of combustion examined, and the original 
amount of carbon and oxygen, or other substance burned is 
all there in the vessel, not the minutest portion having 
escaped with the emitted light. 

From these and a variety of other considerations a 
great many scientists have discarded the emission theory of 
light and adopted the undulatorj- theory under the delusive 



24 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



notion that matter and motion comprehends the entire 
circle of all existence. 

According to the undnlatory theory space is filled with 
an etherial substance, and vibrations of this substance 
constitute light. Teachers of this theory present definite 
statements of the motion which the hypothetical ether 
must make to enable the eye to see. 

The following is a table of vibrations, claimed to be 
necessary to form the colors of a bouquet of a few flowers, 
to render them visible. The table is from Guillemin's 
School Philosophy, and is the doctrine commonly taught in 
schools. 

Vibrations Per Second. 

Red, 514,000,000,000,000. 
Orange, 557,000,000,000,000. 
Yellow, 548,000,000,000,000. 
Green, 621,000,000,000,000. 
Blue, 670,000,000,000,000. 
Indigo, 709,000,000,000,000. 
- Violet, 752,000,000,000,000. 

— [Guillemin's Forces of Nature.] 

To understand this table we will suppose that a spider's 
thread is drawn out and attenuated, in imagination, to the 
least possible tenuity and reaches to the sun, or to a burn- 
ing gas, and that a shimmering or vibrating motion is 
imparted to the thread by combustion. This vibratory 
shiver of every part of the thread, which is 93,000,000 of 
miles in length, each inch must vibrate at least five hun- 
dred and fourteen billions times a second. Any less number 
of vibrations or undulations will not rouse the sens% of vision. 
Every fcrty-thousandth part of a red rose blossom is 
assumed, by this theory, to be sending off these billions of 
vibrations in every and all directions. In order that light 
shall travel over a space one inch long and the one forty - 
thousandth of an inch broad, the substance of the ether 
must make forty thousand oscillations. The whitish 
yellow light of a lamp, as will be seen from the table, 
vibrates still faster than the light from a rose blossom, 
while to render a violet colored blossom visible, there must 



In Allolropic Conditions. 25 



be 752,000,000,000,000 vibrations in every second, or about 
sixty thousand in every linear inch to illuminate one sixty 
thousandth of an inch in breadth. 

Professor Tyndall, one of the leading exponents of the 
undulatory theory, says, "The length of the waves, both of 
sound and of light, and the number of shocks which they 
impart to the ear and eye have been strictly determined." 

"Let us here go through a simple calculation; light 
travels through space at the rate of 192,000 miles a second ; 
reduce this to inches, we find the number to be 12,165,120,- 
000. Now it is found that thirty-nine thousand waves of 
red light placed end to end, would make up an inch. Mul- 
tiplying the number of inches in 192,000 miles by thirty- 
nine thousand, we obtain the number of waves of red light 
embraced in the distance of 192,000 miles ; the number is 
474,439,680,000,000. Ail these waves enter the eye in a 
single second." 

" To produce the impression of violet, a still greater 
number of impressions is necessary ; it would take 57,500 
waves of the violet to fill an inch, and the number of 
shocks to produce this impression of this color amounts to 
six hundred and ninety-nine millions of millions per second. 
The other colors of the spectrum, as already stated, rise 
gradually in pitch from red to violet." — [Tyndall in Heat as 
a Mode of Motion. 

Again, u you must then imagine the atoms of luminous 
bodies vibrating, and their vibrations you must figure as 
communicated to the ether in which they swing, being pro- 
pagated through it in waves ; these waves enter the pupil 
across the ball and impinge on the retina at the base of the 
eye, and the act, remember, is as real, and as truly mechan- 
ical as the stroke of sea waves on the shore ; the motion of 
the ether is communicated to the retina, transmitted thence 
along the optic nerve of the brain, and there announces 
itself to consciousness as light." — [Tyndall in Heat as a 
Mode of Motion. 

These estimates, it will be noticed, are only for the path 
of a single ray of light; but each ray illuminates a streak 
or path only the thirty-nine thousandth of an inch in 
diameter ; and as the pupil of the eye usually presents an 
opening about the tenth of an inch in diameter, it enables 



26 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



several thousand of these rays to enter side by side in their 
inconceivable oscillations. 

We seat ourselves in a room that is perfectly dark, and 
we see nothing; the ether is all there permeating the entire 
space, but it renders nothing visible. We open the window 
shutter, and let in daylight, and then, by the theory, every 
minute part of the floor, of the walls, ceiling and air of the 
room, sets the permeating ether quivering. We hold a 
small bouquet of flowers, having different shades of red, 
orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, intermediate 
shades of bright, dark or faded parts ; each of these inter- 
mediate shades of which several hundred may be counted 
on a small bouquet, is sending off billions of vibrations, 
each different shade of color sending a different rate from 
either of its mates ; but each shade sets the ether vibrating 
more than 514,000,000,000,000 times a second, ranging 
from that up to the violet with 752,000,000,000,000 undu- 
lations a second, and a few only of these uncounted billions 
are dancing on the optic nerve to enable us to see a few 
flowers. 

It might be as well to say here to student^, before load- 
ing their brains with this avalanch of figures in explana- 
tion of light, that the ether that vibrates so rapidly has not 
yet been discovered ; and that the vibrations of different 
colored lights are only estimated ones, founded on the 
proposition that if the ether does exist, filling all space, and 
if light does travel through the ether in this way by undu- 
lations, then such must be their mathematical ratios. 

This theory of light asserts that black is not a color; 
that black objects absorb all kinds of rays, but emit none ; 
that black bodies will not set the hypothetical ether vibrat- 
ing. A very natural conclusion from this would be that 
black bodies should be invisible ; but when we stand before 
a looking-glass we see images of all kinds of objects ; we 
see black eyes, black hair, and black clothing quite as 
plainly as we do those of other colors; or if from an upper 
window we cast a glance along a busy street in a populous 
city, we receive a momentary impression of its long rows 
of buildings, stores with their windows full of the useful 
and beautiful, streets full of a busy throng ; horses, carri- 
ages, men, women and children — forms, figures, faces in 



Tn Allotropic Conditions. 27 



infinite variety, with shadings of all colors blended and 
intermixed with the vital throb of active life. 

In the phenomena of vision, images in miniature are 
formed on the inner lining of the eye, faithfully represent- 
ing in the minutest detail each and every form, face, 
figure, of these and other objects with their distinct or 
blended shades of coloring. The particles of soot that 
lazily curl from the chimney jtops, although they are sup- 
posed not to stir the etherial substance with a single undula- 
tory shiver, appear on the canvas of the retina defined as 
accurately as the snow white lime that cements the chimney 
joints. 

The undulatory theory of light, as well as other 
attempted explanations of the nature of light, are efforts 
of the human mind to account for all classes of images of 
distant objects that are reflected from mirrors, refracted 
from lenses, or formed on the optic nerve, and impart 
knowledge of their qualities. 

After a momentary glance at the unnumbered objects of 
a busy street, at the whitened sails in its harbor, at the 
wa#ing foliage of a forest, or the vivid bloom of flowers, 
we retire to a darkened room where the hypothetical ether 
is supposed to be at rest, and the images which light 
penciled on the retina, have vanished, the canvas is ready 
for another series of pictures. The undulating pencils have 
ceased to dance on the nerves of the canvas ; we close our 
eyes in forgetful ness, and by the etherial balm of sleep 
become oblivious of either undulations or of objects. 
After a period of repose we awake and recall from the 
tablets of memory, the whitened sails in the habor, the 
waving green of the forest, the brilliant bloom of the 
flowers, and the active throbbing life impressed in the 
momentary glance along the throbbing street. 

Tn this process of recalling impressions of objects and 
their qualities from memory, the images do not again appear 
on the canvas of the retina ; neither does the undulating 
ether return to dance on the optic nerve ; the intermediate 
light between the eye and those distant objects from which 
the pictures were drawn has vanished, and it is unnecessary 
for their reproduction from memorv. The houses, people, 
sails, forests and flowers may have vanished in smoke; 
their presence is also unnecessary in the recalling process, 



28 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



and we ask ourselves what is the real difference between 
the pictures from memory and those first formed by the 
illuminating agent? 

If there was any conceivable relation between knowl- 
edge and vibrations, any relation existing between con- 
sciousness of the existence of any outside object, and the 
undulations of an intervening medium between these objects 
and the eye, any positive dependence of vision on motion, 
the theory of etherial undulations would be admissable 
whether it could be discovered as a fact or not ; but no such 
relation is either known or conjectured ; vibrations, shim- 
mer, quiver, thrill, undulations, or whatever it may be 
called, of either the substance of ether or the imparted 
motions to atoms or nerves, is entirely inadequate to con- 
stitute vision. The motion and vibratory shimmer which 
the substance of ether has been computed to make is incon- 
ceivable, undiscovered, and seemingly beyond the power of 
discovery ; and should it be discovered the contrast between 
perception and the undulations of substance is abrupt and 
disconnected. Motion, however rapid, does not become 
knowledge ; the beating of the waves on the sands of the 
sea shore does not impart knowledge or sensation to the 
crystalized silica; the twinkling of the stars, or the undu- 
lations of a sunbeam on the ocean, or on the deadened 
nerves of extinct life will not confer vision on the trembling 
molecules. 

Discarding all theoretical notions of what constitutes 
light, and discarding all theoretical notions of what consti- 
tutes consciousness, for the present, and reverting only to 
primary facts, we know that the earth exists ; that its 
forests, its people, its cities and everything around us does 
positively exist, and we also know that light has somehow 
brought us a part of this knowledge which we have of 
these objects. 

It is not only true that objects around us exist, but it is 
also true that a knowledge of these facts also exist, and it 
is also true that we are conscious that we have this knowl- 
edge. During sleep this knowledge lies dormant, but when 
we awake we are again conscious of these existences. This 
conscious knowledge is as real an existence as is the earth 
on which we stand. At the demand of consciousness, we 
can recall knowledge derived through the eye ; and in dis- 



In Allotropic Conditions. 29 



cussing analogies, or differences existing between the quali- 
ties of objects which we see aod qualities of objects which 
we can recall from memory, the position is presented that 
the process is accomplished in both cases by the same agent ; 
that light draws the pictures on the canvas of conscious- 
ness, and that light recalls them to view ; that the same 
agent that enables us to see objects and their qualities, is 
the agent that enables us to recall them from memory. As 
already presented, this is accomplished by the allotropic 
conditions of the agent. 

The property of light to render objects visible is 
undoubted, unquestioned and absolute. Theories may 
differ as to how this is accomplished, but the fact is 
universally conceded; the power of recalling knowledge 
from memory possessed by the human mind is also undis- 
puted, unquestioned, and absolute, and this power is gen- 
erally conceded to be dependent on the nerve force. In 
the first case consciousness is reached by light traveling 
through a medium outside of ourselves ; in the second 
case consciousness is reached by light in its altered shape, 
reaching consciousness by traveling through the nerves as 
a medium. The accuracy of this statement is found in the 
fact,that luminous rays are perfectly competent and have 
the property of carrying absolute information of forms and 
colors of distant objects through the air, water and other 
transparent bodies ; and in the corresponding fact that the 
nerve force, in what is here claimed to be an allotropic 
condition of light, is competent, and has the property of 
holding and carrying the same absolute information of 
forms and colors of objects along the nerves. 



Vision. 

We stand by the side of a person in front of a looking- 
glass and turn our eyes alternately towards the person and 
to his image reflected from the mirror, and perceive that 
his form and various qualities which come from direct 
observation is also accurately reproduced by the reflected 
image. The accurate information which direct light 
brought of his form, features, colors of hair, eyes, clothing, 
&c, is not changed, but duplicated by impinging on and 



30 Identity of Liyht and Nerve Force 



passing through the glass to the metal, then rebounding 
from the metal and again passing through the glass towards 
the eye. Both the direct and the reflected images pass in 
succession through the air, then through the outer coat of 
the eye, then through the pupil, then through the crystalline 
lens, through the aqueous and vitreous humors, each suc- 
cessive part contributing an influence towards forming the 
concentrated miniature images on the retina. 

The minature image of a person may be but the frac- 
tion of an inch in length, with accurate proportions of 
every perceptible part, from the minutest hair or expression 
to the entire outline. A black fly may be resting on a 
black button, on a black coat on the person, and its minia- 
ture is pictured as perfectly accurate as the larger minia- 
ture ; light has somehow transferred to the retina pictures 
of these and other objects as an essential fact in the 
phenomena of vision. The formation of these images on 
the inner lining of the eye constitutes a part of our positive 
knowledge. We see objects and we know that they exist 
in position and character as these images declare them. 
We turn our eyes towards a tree in the garden, a horse in 
the street, a fish in water, or the moon in space, images 
are formed in the eye, and we know that these objects exist 
in the several places declared by the sight. We also know 
that light, carrying information of the forms and qualities 
from these and other objects, may be reversed and turned 
in various directions, reflected, refracted, and may also be 
stopped before it reaches the eye and made to explain 
what kind of images, and what kind of information it is 
carrying. 

If, instead of passing through the crystalline lens of 
the eye, the luminous messenger with its essence of knowl- 
edge from a tree, or other object which it is carrying, is 
passed through a glass lens, a miniature representation of 
the information which it is carrying is drawn at the focus 
of the lens ; if the apparatus of the glass lens is as 
perfectly adapted for diminishing and concentrating infor- 
mation and knowledge, as is the apparatus of the eye, the 
pictures at the focus of the glass will bs as perfect as those 
formed on the retina. 

The information concentrated in the images at the focus 
of a glass lens is not drawn or engraved by a material 



In Allotropic Conditions. 31 



substance ; its colors are not paints or dyes ; its outlines 
are not inks or leads. The image may be of a tree loaded 
with fruit, yet no part of the tree, not a molecule from a 
leaf, not an atom of the fruit or of its aroma is taken or to 
be found in the image at the focus ; neither is the image 
known to embody any kind of motion from the throbbing 
life of the living tree ; the images are as true from inani- 
mate as from animate matter ; it draws on neither molecu- 
les nor atoms for the motion of its pencil or brush; and 
there is no known necessity for asserting the messenger to 
be either matter or motion — either substance or vibrations. 
This messenger of knowledge, and this messenger of 
force, as agents of the infinite, are untrammelled by space, 
and oblivious of time — their range is the universe, and their 
life period eternity. 

What is known is, that the imponderable messenger of 
knowledge has the marvelous property of gathering infor- 
mation of the forms, features, and qualities of every known 
thing in every part of creation, and telegraphing this 
information all over the universe. A ray of light sent 
from the sun to the moon goes bounding back to the start- 
ing point with the information that its surface is covered 
over with redish colored rocks of all dimensions thrown 
around in wild and dreary confusion. When this 
messenger of the universe, with its load of informa- 
tion encounters a mirror, or reflector in its path, its 
course is turned, but its information is not confiscated by 
the mirror ; its panoramic pictures are instantly spread out 
for inspection, reaching apparently into the far distant 
background of the mirror, but these telegrams of facts, 
these pictures of objects, these images on the scroll of 
light, were destined for the sense of vision, and the pano- 
ramic scroll, with its marvelous pictures finds an un- 
crowded depot on which to unload its concentrated essence 
of knowledge, on the back lining of the sense of sight. A 
great many scrolls with their panoramic pictures enters the 
eye as an emblematic gleam of omniscience, but no part of 
their light is reflected or sent back from the retina ; the 
messenger, after spreading its information on a common 
mirror, finds no adaptation in its metallic substance ; its 
pictures are not wanted, or retained, and it flies onward; 
leaving no trace behind. The scroll of knowledge concen- 



32 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



trated by glass lenses also continues its flight, carrying its 
unappreciated knowledge with unchecked speed on its 
direct or diverted course. Not so however with the 
panorama that finds entrance to the retina of the sentient 
sense of sight — the messenger has done its errand of 
gathering knowledge and bringing it into the living- 
system. The messenger with its canvas of pictures, its 
panorama of phenomena, has been knocked from its course, 
now this way, now that, by reflectors ; it has been reflected 
and passed through solid glass, and its scroll opened for 
inspection, and information, and pictures examined at any 
part of its route ; it has been passed through the mem- 
branous tissue of the eyeball, and in succession through 
solids, liquids and semi-fluids, and in passing through all 
these different kinds of material, through all its compli- 
cated turnings, the- messenger clings to its pictures and 
knowledge, and they adhere to the messenger ; they reach 
the retina together — the panoramic canvas and what it has 
carried is spread out on the retina, and what warrant have 
we for separating and detaching the pictures from the 
scroll ? They take up no space, and they require no balm 
to preserve them ; when the messages have been spread out 
at the focus of the crystalline lens of the eye for inspection, 
and the facts which they enfold apprehended, we lose direct 
tracings of the messenger and its load ; but the messenger; 
with its information and panoramic scroll, has proved itself 
competent to pass through solids and liquids, competent to 
stand being knocked around in all directions, and still mes- 
senger and message, pictures and canvas, enrollment and 
scroll, phenomena and light, clung and adhered to each 
other by mutual adaptation and mutual destiny. In 
the performance of this service light has lost no 
energy, nor squandered any of its properties ; it has^ been 
sent from the sun over the intervening distance of millions 
of miles for the express purpose of making known to 
sentient beings the nature and qualities of surrounding 
objects ; it gathers information, embodies knowledge, and 
there is no known separation at the base of the eye ball. 

These panoramic pictures, this embodiment of informa- 
tion and knowledge, traced by light on the. retina, by the 
prevalent theory, consists of a quivering motion of an 
unknown substance ; this quivering dance is supposed to 



In Ailotropic Conditions. 38 



be performed by thousands of partners, when an object is 
seen, their motions determining vision, and each partner in 
the dance occupies less than the forty -thousandth of an 
inch of retinal surface, and shakes itself not less than five 
hundred billions of times a second, while each partner 
shakes itself several billion times more every second, their 
vibrations ranging all the way up to over seven hundred 
billion undulations per second on the nerve. This undis- 
covered undulatory dance and imaginary thrill goes undu- 
lating along the optic nerve to the brain, where it is 
supposed to be transmuted into knowledge. 

But where is the necessity of supposing a transmutation 
in the brain ? What is this fancied transmutation ? Do 
the facts and phenomena presented by a mirror, or unfolded 
on the retina from a scroll of light, require transmuting 
into unconjectured pictures? Is knowledge not already 
enrolled on the scroll of light when it comes from the 
moon, a tree, or other object ? What clearer pictures ol 
objects can the brain form than are already drawn by 
light ? Has nature employed a bungling artist to perform 
this work, become dissatisfied, and employed a more com- 
petent agent to fix them in memory ? Are the pictures 
drawn by light, mere daubs to be discarded and transmuted 
into something more refined — a thrill to be unravelled by 
the affinities of brain substance ? Are the pencils of light 
too coarse, the color too crude, or the canvas too destruc- 
tible to be worth preserving ? What transmutations do 
the pictures of facts and phenomena require to pass into 
the mind's treasury of knowledge ? The canvas is inde- 
structible, the colors are indelible, the outlines are faultless, 
the pictures are perfect representations of all superficial 
qualities, and what possible transmutation can they undergo 
to make them more useful ? 

When the pictures, enrolled by light, reach the retina, 
they have the smallest possible dimensions ; a landscape 
view, extending over miles, is accurately reduced on the 
optic nerve to the fraction of an inch, and so perfect are 
these miniatures in every particular that a glance at the 
landscape, and then at the picture within the eye ball 
reveals the perfection of representation. These pictures of 
facts and phenomena, have but two dimensions, length and. 
breadth, but they are utterly without thickness. 



64: Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



Millions of these transparencies, embodying all the 
qualities of knowledge derived through the sense of vision 
may be hung in the vestibule of memory for reference and 
comparison and add no more to the bulk of optical sub- 
stance than is added to a bar of iron or steel when charged 
with magnetism. The} 7 require no transmutation, they are 
the embodiment of all facts and phenomena that pass 
through the organ of sight ; the scroll of light on which 
they are enrolled has the property not only of carrying- 
pictures embodying knowledge and information of the 
qualities of matter, but it has also the property of retaining 
and holding this information and these pictures for refer- 
ence and inspection. 

When the panoramic pictures of facts, carried by light, 
reach the retina, the messenger is not dashed into fragments 
of nothingness, leaving only a few dots and dashes to be 
transmuted into knowledge by chemical affinities within 
the brain — the imponderable agent with its load of pictured 
facts, finds a resting place and home on the sentient nerve 
for its scroll of knowledge ; the pictures do not pass into 
hyeroglyphics, to be translated by oxidations of brain 
substance, but scroll and enrollment, pictures and canvas, 
information and agent, panoramas and light, are filed in 
the treasury of knowledge and assigned to positions in the 
functions of memory. Every minute tracing of objects is 
held by the scroll of light, and no separation of message 
from messenger occurs ; the pictures gathered through the 
pupil of the eyes are not lost but retained, not changed but 
stored ; the pictures of the sun, moon or stars, drawn in 
the past remain for comparison with those seen to-day; 
the clouds in the sky now may be compared with those we 
have seen before ; the forest, the orchards, the field and its 
fences, rivers, gardens and dwellings — all the countless 
objects of daily life have thrown more or less distinct 
pictures of facts into the gallery of memory, where they 
remain subject to inspection and reference unaltered and 
unconverted. 

The pictures enrolled on the tablets of memory are not 
mere outlines of lights and shadows, not mere blendings of 
the spectrum of colors, not hyeroglyphics to be translated 
by transmutation, but contain as actual enrollments of light 
as steel does of magnetism, as water does of heat, or as mus- 



In Alhtropic Conditions. 35 



cles do of muscular force. That memory retains the forms 
and features of a tree, a house, a watch, people, and objects 
previously seen is entirely familiar and unquestioned. The 
feature here presented and insisted on is not as to the fact 
of memory, but that knowledge of objects seen is not 
manufactured, but gathered ; not transmuted by the brain 
from impacting motions of substance, but that imponder- 
able images drawn on impalpable light are as actual 
existences as imponderable chemical or magnetic force ; 
that a sunbeam in its luminous and non-luminous parts is 
as entirely competent to carry and distribute information 
and knowledge to the senses of organic life, as heat is to 
carrv motion and expansive force into inorganic substance. 

In asserting this capacity of light to carry absolutely 
accurate information of surrounding objects to the retina, 
no issue is made with well known and familiar facts ; the 
pictures are there formed on the nerve, and we know that 
they form an essential fact in the process of seeing, and we 
also know that we can recall the knowledge which they 
impart. After seeing a bird flying, a horse running, or a 
person standing in front of us, we can recall whether the 
bird was a blue bird or robin; whether the horse was large 
or small, black or white ; whether the person was man or 
woman, young or old, friend or strange, dressed or 
undressed ; and if the image formed on the retina was 
clear and distinct, our capacity to recall the minute tracings 
which light has effected are correspondingly minute. 

After hours of repose and sleep, our eyes open and a 
glance around the room shows familiar objects ; the ceiling, 
the door, the window and curtain of the room form 
pictures in the eye precisely like those in memory of the 
previous day ; the forms and faces and features at the 
table form panoramic pictures for comparison with those 
already in the treasury of knowledge ; we recall from 
memory the blooming health, the joyous sparkle which 
those around us were wont to exhibit, and compare 
them with the seared lines of care, the hectic flush 
of fever, or the gaunt spectre of death ; we recall the 
budding leaf, the opening flower, the skipping lamb, and 
sprouting grass of spring, and follow in succession their 
changed phases through summer's growth and autumn's 
harvest, until the landscape is covered with a mantle of 



36 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



snow, and again repeat that these, and all pictures of things 
we see were traced and formed on the canvas of light, to pass 
into the vestibule of memory unaltered, where they exist 
in the gallery of facts unchanged, and are actually stored in 
the treasury of knowledge — pictures and light, panoramas 
and fact forming components of mind, grafted on the 
sentient nerves of life as heat can be grafted on oxide of 
hydrogen to form water — and that light has the power of 
holding images corresponding with its power of forming 
them. If we place ourselves in succession in all parts of a 
room, we can see in succession every minute part of the 
room, showing that light, with its pictures of facts, is trav- 
eling in all directions, crossing and re-crossing the lines of 
light from each and every object in every direction ; but 
by virtue of the perfect transparency of the canvas and 
pictures, not the slightest interference in information from 
the different directions is produced ; the crossing and 
re-crossing paths do not interfere with each other's accuracy 
of images on the retina. No matter how full the room or 
how small the object, each offers its representation to the 
retina for inspection and storage irrespective of images 
from other objects ; and when they are entered on the 
tablets of memory the images from one object never 
obscure those from another. 

That the pictured representations of facts and pano- 
ramas thrown into vision and memory are just what is 
retained, not only corresponds with our conceptions of 
pictures reproduced in memory, but the function is fore- 
shadowed and explained by that property of light, which 
light has in common with all imponderable agents, of 
holding and retaining all their properties in each and all 
of their allotropic states and conditions. The pictures 
have gone through vacuums, gone through gases, entered 
the animal system through animal tissue, passed through 
the crystalline lens, passed through the humors of the eye- 
ball, and have actually penetrated the animal system a 
considerable distance as absolute and actual pictures, and 
there is no known reason why they cannot remain in the 
substance of the organism with the imponderable agent 
that drew and carried them into the animal body. 

That light, after penetrating the eyeball, remains and 
is not reflected out, is an ascertained fact ; that it carries 



In AUotropic Conditions. 37 



information into the mind, as pictured information, is 
familiar and evident from an inspection of images formed 
on the retina ; that these pictures were traced on light is 
also evident, for we find the pictures on the messenger at 
any part of the route from the object to the eye ; and that 
the panoramic pictures, or their exact counterpart, exists 
in memory, are all well known and familiar facts. Now 
when we look at these facts in conjunction with the fact of 
the evident presence of inactive dormant light existing in 
the apparatus for vision, the inference is very strong that 
the imponderable agent and pictures, panoramas and mes- 
senger, are mutual companions in the optic and sentient 
apparatus. 

The simple fact that pressure on the eyeball causes a 
sensation of light naturally suggests that light is dormant 
in the apparatus of vision ; then again if an electric cur- 
rent be passed through the eyeball or socket to the top of 
the head, flashes of light appear at each interruption of 
the current, and this fact confirms the inference that light 
exists in a dormant state somewhere in the electric circuit 
of the eye ; then again if the optic nerve be cut, torn or 
injured strong flashes of light appear at each disturbance. 
In some cases of injury of the optic nerve a constant sen- 
sation of colored light appears in the eyes, a fact somewhat 
parallel to the ringing noises in the head from injury to 
the nerves of hearing. 

Most persons, if placed in a dark room, will have a 
sensation of a very dim light close to their eyes when the 
lids are closed, and on opening the lids the dimness breaks 
into streaks, changing from place to place, but generally 
quite close to the eyes. Under these circumstances young 
and timid persons are very apt to strain their eyes trying 
to see through the darkness, and as the nerves become 
excited the light appears at a greater distance, and often 
flashing into spectral illusions of odd, or curious, or some- 
times fearful shapes. In the phenomena of delirium 
tremens, the disordered nerves bring up pictures of coiling, 
hissing serpents, swarms of stinging hornets go buzzing 
and darting at all parts of his body, deadly enemies seem 
to rise in every direction, pass and repass only to make 
room for forms and shapes still more fearful. Similar 
effects occur in dreams, in an inferior degree ; strange 



38 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



groupings of things and parts of objects once seen are 
intermixed in orderly or disorderly array; pictures, facts 
and thoughts are pleasantly or unpleasantly grouped in 
disjointed fragments, or in connected illusions. In the 
delirium of fevers strange phantasies, dimly pictured with 
incoherent flashes of thought rise up from memory. 

By the mistake of a nurse that was attending me in a 
sickness, T once took at a single dose a quantity of quinine 
that was intended for twelve doses at intervals through six 
days. The medicine threw me into a delirium of half 
consciousness and partial sleep, and for about two hours a 
rambling running panoramic view of disconnected parts of 
all my previous life seemed to flit past my eyes in a dis- 
jointed jumble; all my boyhood's plays, pranks, struggles 
and scenes appeared ; some of them as fresh as actual 
present sights and occurrences; the atmosphere seemed all 
aglow and illuminated with a fiery red light, but no hotter 
than usual ; pictures of scenes one moment seemed to be 
away oflP in the distance, and then close by, sometimes as 
plain as an image in a looking-glass, then offering only a 
mere glimpse of fading illusions. I had been to a com- 
bined caravan and circus only a few days previous, and 
circus scenes were picture! on the running panoramas much 
oftener than any other event, but they were in a strange 
jumble; clouds in the nerv red skv would flash out in 
brilliant colors and tints, as are sometimes seen near sun- 
set after a summer shower, and then fade into dim gray 
fogs; the show tent, with everything it contained of horses, 
wagons, people and animals, seemed to have been emptied 
out of the clouds and were performing just below in the 
air ; elephants were turning somersaults with hyenas clap- 
ping their paws in admiration; tigers were performing on 
tight ropes swung from the clouds, sometimes hanging bv 
their teeth or a single paw. or sliding down and holding to the 
rope by only a twist of their tails; horses stood on their 
heads and balanced clowns on their feet ; babies sat in the 
lion's mouth and crowed and laughed at the frantic efforts 
of their mothers to get them ; clowns, riders, animals and 
attendants were constantly shifting, changing and inter- 
changing positions and roles, sometimes taking a natural, 
and then shifting into an unnatural position or part of the 
performance. This jumble of circus performances and 



In Allotropic Conditions. 39 



animal show was continually shifting and giving place to 
pictures of other events, and then reappearing in disjointed 
fragments or bringing vivid, perfect and natural pictures. 
One moment I was a mere boy chasing butterflies and 
trying to catch them in my hat, then reciting lessons with 
my schoolmates, and again watching the daring feats of 
female equestriennes standing on their heads on flying bare- 
back spotted circus horses. 

Another effect of the quinine was to cause a sensation 
of ringing and various noises in my ears, some of them as 
loud as the report of a pistol, others only like a hissing, 
buzzing hum. The ringing noises did not disappear entirely 
for several months, and could be strongly excited and roused 
by pressing my head back of the ear. In a few hours after 
taking the quinine, the delirium and stupor passed off, but 
if I pressed lightly with my finger on the eye ball, pictures 
of various kinds would reappear, generally intermixed with 
disjointed fragments of circus scenes. For two or three 
days these panoramic pictures, developed from pressure, 
were clear and distinct, but the eyes gradually lost this 
susceptibility for developing pictures from pressure, so that 
at the end of a week, pressure on the eyeball would only 
cause flashes ot light to appear without the pictures. 

Dreams, deliriums, delusions and illusions of the imagi- 
nation are well known to be associated with disordered 
nerves of the stomach, as well as the brain, and it is com- 
monly taught that imagination and the entire range of 
mental phenomena grow out of molecular changes of brain 
structure and substance. That perception, and thought, 
and imagination, and all mental phenomena are the result 
of oxidations and molecular changes of brain substance has 
been asserted, and reasserted so often that a great many 
persons seem to forget that these assertions are only 
unproved theories, and accept them as ascertained and 
absolute facts ; yet it is no more an ascertained fact that 
thought is due to combustion of nerve substance than it is 
that digestion is due to combustion of the stomach ; no 
more an ascertained fact that imagination grows out of 
oxidation of nerve substance than it is that muscular force 
is founded on oxidation of muscles. The continued repeti- 
tion of the assertion that thought is manufactured in the 
brain by a process of chenrcal change of brain substance, 



40 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



has fixed the idea so firmly in the minds of many persons 
that to call the notion an unproved theory will seem -like 
sacrilege ; yet these assertions, so frequently made, that 
thought is brain work, produced by wearing out nerve 
matter is wholly and entirely theoretical. The chemical 
whirligig of the molecules of brain substance takes place 
much more rapidly after death than daring life, and no one 
would have the audacity to assert the production of percep- 
tion, imagination, or thought, from the decomposition that 
takes place in the grave. The chemical whirligig of brain 
molecules in organic decomposition may be retarded and 
made to proceed rapidly or slowly, but their modification 
does not develop or produce mental phenomena. This dis- 
tinction between theory and tact, between what we know 
and what is currently taught and believed, is essential to an 
understanding of the explanation of dreams, illusions, 
memory, or mental phenomena that is here presented ; for 
if we discard a hypothesis merely because it conflicts with 
some other hypothesis that we have learned, we are just as 
liable to discard truth as error. 

The explanation which is here offered of memory, im- 
agination and illusions, does not tally with the oxidation 
theory of brain work ; but the difficulties that spring up 
and gather around the attempt to attribute the production 
of pictures from the tablets of memory to oxidations of 
brain substance seem insurmountable. 

Although it is often broadly asserted that the imagina- 
tion is the result of chemical changes in the brain sub- 
stance, these changes have never been discovered, nor even 
conceived in any definite sense. The adjustment of just 
the suitable degree of oxidation of nervous matter in mil- 
lions of different brains, in all their varying conditions, that 
would enable each and every one to mutually and correctly 
observe at the same time a person, a landscape, a circus, or 
other panorama of facts, and the adjustment of just the 
suitable degree of oxidation of brain substance to repro- 
duce in imagination the same panorama as of circus, land- 
scape, or person at different times and at optional intervals 
of days, months, or years, is an absurdity so great that no 
sane mind would entertain it for a moment, yet the oxida- 
tion theory of mental phenomena has no better foundation 
than this indefinite conjecture. 



In Allotropic Conditions. il 



In discussing the mental phenomena of dreams, delu- 
sions, illusions, imagination or thought, the same posttion, 
is presented that was presented in discussing animal heat, 
vital and muscular force. That is, that mental facts are 
gathered in the same sense that motor forces are gathered 
by their respective apparatus; that the motor forces of heat, 
or muscular force are merely gathered — not generated — as 
new existences ; that they already exist, and the vital pro- 
cesses of animal life merely gathers and distributes them — 
some of the processes bringing muscular force into the 
muscular apparatus, where it is stored for use. And so of 
mental facts and impressions, derived through the senses, 
they are absolute existences and not manufactured by the 
brain ; are carried into the mental apparatus by means of 
both illuminating and non-illuminating rays of light 
through the senses. 

It is a familiar fact that animal food must consist of sub- 
stance holding vital force in union with the substance that 
embodies it as an essential part of its substance. Carbon 
and hydrogen, and all the material elements found in a live 
potato by the chemist, may be found in one that has been 
frozen and thawed to rottenness ; but after its vital force is 
eliminated by rotting, it is utterly incompetent to furnish 
vitality to the living animal. The living animal is utterly 
incompetent to manufacture vitality from substance de- 
prived of it ; it can only distribute it with substance where- 
in it already exists. 

The animal system never generates or produces vital 
force in any other sense than to extract and distribute what 
is already in existence. And so of animal heat ; it already 
exists in the dormant state in the food we eat, the water 
we drink, the air we breath, and the various processes for 
its production in animal life are simply processes for devel- 
oping from it its dormant condition, and not processes of 
manufacture. An oxidized substance, like ice, that contains 
no absorbed heat, is utterly incompetent to furnish heat to 
animal life ; the animal, in any of its processes, can only 
extract heat, or warmth, from substance to distribute to its 
various parts. Breathing, digesting, oxidizing, eliminating, 
or any other animal process, never generated or produced a 
fraction of heat, in an}' other sense than to develop and 
guide what already existed, in substance, in, or within tho 



42 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



animal body. So, too, of muscular force, a limited amount 
is carried into and stored in the muscular apparatus that 
can be more rapidly exhausted than replenished by the 
processes, and when this occurs, the animal must wait for a 
new supply to be extracted from its nutriment and stored 
in the apparatus. 

This principle has already been discussed in its relation 
to the so-called motor forces of heat, muscular, and of vital 
growth — forces that produce the various movements of 
organic substance — and is referred to here for the purpose 
of again pointing out that the same principle which under- 
lies mental knowledge, underlies the motor forces of life. 
Facts are gathered and stored in the mental apparatus, and 
whether recalled and reviewed in natural order and posi- 
tion, or whether they rise up in disjointed and distorted 
illusions of the imagination, they are not manufactured, 
not transmutations of thrills or shimmer of nerves, not 
undulations of brain matter, but are actual existences 
drawn on the canvas of light, and exist in the mental 
storehouse. The education of the machinist brings to his 
optic nerve pictures of wheels, cranks, cogs, links, levers, 
weights, screws, bolts, plates, shafts, rods, boxes, pumps, 
and all the different paraphernalia of machinery that are 
constructed of wood, metal or other material, in all their 
varying dimensions, and these pictures remain in the store- 
house of memory to be called up in their several parts 
to be arranged, or rearranged in different dimensions, in 
different relative positions, in different material, in adapta- 
tion to varying circumstances required in practical life, or 
these pictures may rise in disjointed and distorted frag- 
ments in the delirium of abnormal processes. 

The writer, in writing, recalls in succession the forms 
of the different letters that spells the different words of his 
sentences, and what is here asserted in relation to it is, that 
these forms of letters actually exist in the world of facts, 
and that they are gathered and carried into the apparatus 
of vision, spread out, or diminished on the optic nerve as 
facts, and may be tinted of any and all the various colors, 
or may be colorless. If these letters were so tinted with 
all the various colors, the inconceivable complication of 



In Allotropic Conditions. 43 



red, blue, violet, black, white and yellow would give such 
a complicated system of undulations of the optic nerve to 
unravel, decipher, or translate into knowledge, that it 
would be difficult to understand how forms could reappear 
by the process of undulations through their infinite 
motions. 

The artist reproduces with still greater fidelity the 
features, forms and faces of those he may wish to represent 
on canvas. His representation of an apple, peach, cherry, 
or other tree with its fruit ; a rose, filly, or other flower ; a 
negro, Chinaman, Indian, or other object may be repre- 
sented, large or small, with or without color ; and if their 
forms are in accurate proportions they are immediately 
recognized when there are corresponding pictures in the 
storehouse of memory for comparison. 

The caricaturist delights in reproducing from his store- 
house of pictures, inaccurate forms, by wrong and absurd 
groupings of the different parts of his memory pictures ; 
very large heads, on very small bodies, or very large bodies 
with very small heads and very short legs, spindle shanks, 
huge noses, bleared eyes, uncouthly dressed figures, and the 
infinite jumble of disarranged parts of the various things 
and phenomena that have passed across his vision. The 
germ, the bud, the full grown organism in all its various 
stages of growth, are placed in the storehouse of memory ; 
the entire material world, in miniature, or their forms in 
mass, in whole, or in parts, are constantly offering pictures 
through the apparatus of vision. These pictures are 
grouped, and regrouped in mental process, but whether 
recalled in parts, or in whole, accurate or inaccurate, 
definite or vague, their forms are described on the mes- 
senger of light ; information and fact, with the messenger 
of knowledge, pass into the organ of vision, to be stored 
as stones will store weight, steel will store magnetism, or 
as mercury will imbibe and store heat, or a glass jar will 
store electricity. Apprehension and discernment, knowl- 
edge and fact are as absolute as force, and may be stored in 
sentient apparatus with as absolute certainty as chemical 
affinity can be stored in chlorine or potassium, the catalyz- 
ing action in platinum, or the actinic force in light. 



44 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



Sound and Hearing Due to Non-luminous Conditions 

of Light. 

The senses are sometimes called the windows of knowl- 
edge, and much the greater part of our actual knowledge is 
derived through these windows, or senses. To assert that 
all information of the qualities and properties of bodies — 
all facts that we call knowledge — are gathered on certain con- 
ditions of light, and reach consciousness on this messenger, 
may at first appear a very broad assertion ; yet this is just 
what is here presented. Information and knowledge not 
only reaches the eye on the canvas of light, but flavors, 
and odors, and feeling, and sounds are each carried by con- 
ditions of the same medium. 

To assert that knowledge, derived through the sense of 
hearing; to assert that conversation, music — all sounds — 
are carried on a condition of light, is to make statements 
that conflict with accepted theory, but is, nevertheless, 
true. Each of the five senses brings to our perception a 
distinct class of information ; the sense of seeing discerns 
the superficial qualities of objects; the sense of hearing 
discerns the inner qualities of objects revealed by sounds. 

The mode in which sounds impart information, as com- 
monly taught, is thus stated by Professor Tyndall : " Sounds 

we know to be due to vibratory motion." "What is 

sound within us is, is outside of us, a motion of air." 

" From the earliest ages the questions, ' What is light ?' 
and, " What is heat ?" have occurred to the minds of men , 
but these questions never would have been answered had 
they not been preceded by the question, 'What is sound ?' 
Amid the grosser phenomena of acoustics the mind was 
first disciplined, conceptions being thus obtained from direct 
observation, which were afterwards applied to phenomena 
of a character far too subtle to be observed directly. 

"Sound we know to be due to vibratory motion. A 
vibrating tuning fork, for example, moulds the air around 
it into undulations of waves, which speed away on all sides 
with a certain measured velocity, impinge upon the drum 
of the ear, shake the auditory nerve, and awake in the brain 
the sensation of sound. When sufficiently near a sounding 
body we can feel the vibrations of the air. A ■ deaf man, 
for example, plunging his hand into a bell when it is sound- 



In AUotropic Conditions. 45 



ing, feels through the common nerves of his body those 
tremors which when imparted to the nerves of healthy ears, 
are translated into sound. 

There are various ways of rendering these sonorous 
vibrations, not only tangible but visible ; and it was not 
until numberless experiments of this kind had been executed 
that the scientific investigator abandoned himself wholly, 
and without a shadow of misgiving, to the conviction that 
what is sound within us is, is outside of us, a motion of air. 
But once having established this fact — once having proved 
beyond all doubt that the sensation of sound is produced 
by an agitation of the nerve of the ear, the thought soon 
suggested itself that light might be due to an agitation of 
the nerve of the eye. This was a great step in advance of 
that ancient notion which regarded light as something 
emitted by the eye, and not as anything imparted to it. 
But if light be produced by an agitation of the optic nerve 
or retina, what is it that produces the agitation ? Newton, 
you know, supposed minute particles to be shot through the 
humors of the eye against the retina, which he supposed 
to hang like a target at the back of the eye. The impact 
of these particles against the target, Newton believed to be 
the cause of light. But Newton's notion has not held its 
ground, being entirely driven from the field by the more 
wonderful and far more philosophical notion that light, like 
sound, is the product of wave motion. . The domain in 
which this motion of light is carried on lies entirely beyond 
the reach of our senses. The waves of light require a 
medium for their formation and propagation ; but we cannot 
see, or feel, or taste, or smell this medium. How, then, 
has its existence been established? By showing that 
by the assumption of this wonderful intangible aether, all 
the phenomena of optics are accounted for with a full- 
ness, and clearness, and conclusiveness, which leave no 
desire of the intellect unsatisfied." — Tyndall on Radiant 
Heat and its Relations in Fragments of Science. 

" The ether which conveys* the pulses of light and heat 
not only fills celestial space, swarthing suns, and planets and 
moons, but it also encircles the atoms of which these bodies 
are composed. It is the motions of these atoms, and not 
that of any sensible parts of bodies that the aether conveys. 



46 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



It is this motion that constitutes the objective cause of 
what in our sensations are light and heat ; an atom then 
sending its pulses through the oether, resembling a tuning- 
fork, sending its pulses through the air." — Ibid. 

"Thus far we have fixed our attention on atoms and 
molecules in a state of vibrations, and surrounded by a me- 
dium which accepts their vibration and transmits them 
through space. But suppose the waves generated by one 
system of molecules, to impinge upon another system, how 
will the waves be effected ? Will they be stopped, or will 
they be -permitted to pass? Will they transfer their mo- 
tion to the molecules on which they impinge, or will they 
glide around the molecule, through the intermolecular 
spaces, and thus escape ? The answer to this question de- 
pends upon a condition which may be beautifully exempli- 
fied by an experiment on sound. These two tuning-forks 
are tuned absolutely alike. They vibrate with the same 
rapidity, and, mounted thus upon their resonant cases, you 
hear them loudly sounding the same musical note. Stop- 
ping one of the forks, I throw the other into strong vibra- 
tions, and bring that other near the silent fork, but not into 
contact with it. Alio wins: them to continue in this posi- 
tion for four or five seconds, and then stopping the vibrat- 
ing fork, the sound has not ceased. The second fork has 
taken up the vibration of its neighbor, and is now sound- 
ing in its turn. Dismounting one of the forks, and per- 
mitting the other to remain upon its stand, T throw the 
dismounted fork into strong vibration. You cannot hear 
it sound. Detached from its stand the amount of vibra- 
tion motion which it can communicate to the air is too 
small to be sensible at any distance. When the dismount- 
ed fork is brought close to the mounted one, but not into 
actual contact with it, out of the silence rises a mellow 
sound." 

" Whence comes it ? From the vibrations which have 
been transferred from the dismounted fork to the mounted 
one. That the motion should thus transfer itself, through 
the air it is necessary that the two forks should be in per- 
fect unison. If a morsel of wax not larger than a pea be 
placed on one of the forks it is rendered thereby powerless 
to affect, or be affected by the other." — Ibid. 



In Allotropic Conditions. 47 



Professor Tyndall has long been known as a prominent 
advocate of undulatory theories. In the above quotation 
we have a clear and concise statement of what these 
theories are supposed to explain. According to the view 
here put forth, a complete and perfect explanation of the 
phenomena of hearing and sound is a matter of easy 
observation. Sound is motion, vibrations of matter, 
" tremors, which when imparted to healthy ears, are 
translated into sound." Previous to this answer to the 
question, " what is sound ? " no adequate answer to the 
questions, " what is light ? " and, " what is heat ? " could 
have been given. But after the mind had been disciplined 
in the study of, " what is sound ? " and had obtained the 
full and complete answer, the answer to this question 
furnished a key that unlocked the more intricate mysteries 
of sunbeam, and led to a knowledge of what light and 
heat are. 

The key that unlocks the wonders of these marvellous 
agents is simply, " vibrating motion." In the impact of 
atoms, and the crash of worlds, the Professor sees a suffi- 
cient cause to explain the phenomena of sound, light, heat, 
and the evolution of organic forces. In his language, 
"sound is known to be due to vibrating motion." "To 
this fact the scientific investigator abandons himself wholly 
without a shadow of misgiving to the conviction that what 
is sound within us, is outside of us a motion of air." 

Once having established, to his own satisfaction, that 
vibrating motion is the sole condition of matter, in the 
sense of hearing, it was very easy to conjecture that the 
senses of vision, smell and taste, were also dependent on 
vibrations imparted to their respective nerves ; but as no 
vibrations for these senses, could be observed or detected, 
to transmit light and heat, another conjecture was required 
to make their explanation tally with what is claimed to be 
a full explanation of sound. This conjecture gives us an 
undiscoverable substance enveloping atoms and worlds — 
the undiscovered " aether." Before accepting vibrating 
motion, as the master key to unlock these mysterious agents, 
let us see if it unlocks all the phenomena of sound. 



48 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



Undulatory Theories. 

The history of the past shows that notions and theories 
which are accepted at one period, are afterwards modified, 
changed or discarded. At one time it was taught that heat 
was wholly dependent on combustion ; the sun's heat, the 
heat of fires, chemical action, animal heat, all seemed to 
corroborate this view ; but as the heat developed by fric- 
tion, by percussion, electricity and magnetism was studied, 
it was found that the combustion theory was too narrow to 
embrace all modes in which it was developed. So also of 
electricity. At one time it was conjectured that as a gal- 
vanic current was dependent on chemical action, electricity 
was developed in this way in all other cases ; but when it 
was discovered that a current could be developed by 
heating two metals, by twisting wire, by friction, by 
magnetism, and various other modes, it was conceded that 
the theory of chemical action was entirely too narrow, 
and did not embrace all modes for its development. So of 
the sensation of hearing. If the sensation of sound is, or 
can be produced in any other mode than by vibratory 
motions, then the theory that sound is wholly due to 
vibrating motion is also too narrow ; for a theory that 
ignores or fails to embrace all facts is an insufficient 
explanation. 

This is precisely the standing of the undulatory theory 
of sound. It ignores, or fails to explain why people hear, 
or seem to hear various noises when no vibratory motion 
can be traced. Vibrations or undulations of air, and the 
sensation of hearing are simultaneous facts in a large class 
of apparent sounds ; but the sensation of hearing is also 
quite common in which no vibrations, or undulatory 
motions of matter has been traced ; and to assert that 
hearing is wholly due to vibrations, is to ignore this very 
large class of phenomena. Thousands and thousands of 
people in all parts of the world experience a sensation of 
hearing, a ringing or buzzing sensation in their ears when 
no sounds are to be heard by others ; others hear voices, 
music, guns, and various sounds that have no foundation 
outside of themselves ; yet these sounds are as real to them as 
to those that are carried by atmospheric vibrations. These 
sounds are induced by injuries to the head, or nerves, by 



In Allotropic Conditions. 49 



medicine, by overtaxing the stomach, sometimes by com- 
pressed air, and by other modes, showing that vibrations of 
matter is not the only mode in which the sensation can be 
developed or produced. 

Then again there are other modes in which sound is 
propagated, besides the vibrating mode. Those who claim 
that sound is merely vibrating motion, assert that when 
these oscillations reach the nerve of hearing, they are 
translated into sound. In the language of Tyndall, " what 
is sound within us is, outside of us a motion of air, tremors 
which are translated into sound." 

By surrounding atoms and worlds with an inpalpable 
aether to catch and transfer a quivering motion, a quite 
prevalent notion has obtained in the human mind — a notion 
sometimes expressed, and sometimes merely implied — that 
the phenomena of the universe may be explained without 
the assistance of what are known as imponderable agents ; 
by the aid of an aether swarthing suns, planets, and atoms, 
light and heat are only a quivering of aether- — sound 
merely a quivering of air. This last dogma, in explana- 
tion of sound, has been accepted so largely as positive fact, 
by the public, that to question its accuracy and competence 
as a full explanation, and suggest that sound is something 
more than mere vibrating motion, will, to some, seem as a 
useless waste of time and paper ; yet there is probably no 
dogma ever enunciated by scientists „ that has had a more 
pernicious influence on human thought than is contained 
in the dogma that sound is merely vibratory motion of 
air. It is the corner-stone and foundation of undulatory 
theories — theories that attempt to banish from the universe 
all the intermediate agents, like light and heat, between 
omniscience and phenomena ; theories that would not only 
banish light, and heat, and immaterial forces of the inor- 
ganic world, but place sensation, thought, knowledge, and 
life among the vanishing quivers of vibratory motions ; 
deny them position as real existences, and substitute for 
them the mere quivering throb of atoms. 

In questioning the fullness and competence of the 
vibratory theory of sound to explain all its phenomena, 
no issue is made with ascertained and known facts. There 
is no question but that a sounding bell, or other body, 
vibrates or that these vibrations are imparted to the 



50 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



surrounding air ; but the question at issue is, whether only 
motion is propagated ? By the view here presented, the 
vibrating state of matter, emitting sound, is simply a 
condition of matter enabling a subtle agent to pass, in the 
same sense that the transparent condition of matter enables 
the subtle light to pass — precisely in the same sense that a 
heated plate of iron enables heat to pass through it. 

The vibrating bell, when struck with a hammer, 
undoubtedly propagates sound ; and by the view here 
presented, to do this, there is developed and propagated to 
the quivering air, an imponderable agent, in the same sense 
that heat, as an imponderable agent, is also developed and 
propagated by the hammer's blow. Both of these agents 
are developed by the blow, and propagated to surrounding 
bodies, not as motions, but as actual, indestructible exist- 
ences. These two agents, the agent of heat, and the agent 
of sound, which can thus be developed by the hammer's 
blow, are twin sisters in a sunbeam. 

At the present day it is generally conceded that all the 
heat and light existing, or that can be developed on the 
earth, by combustion or other modes, originally came from 
the sun. 

In tracing other modes in which sound is transmitted 
or propagated, we find the telephone wire taking up all 
classes of sounds and carrying them in conjunction, asso- 
ciated with each and all the royal family of imponderable 
agents. In this simple and well known fact, that sounds 
are taken up by an electrical current, propagated and 
transmitted with electricity, heat, magnetism, light, and 
chemical affinity, over vast distances, along conducting 
wires and through the 'earth circuit without a perceptible 
tremor, and without the slightest trace of vibration, the 
inference is natural, if not unavoidable, that the agent of 
sound, and battery agents, have a common origin and a 
common destiny. Until the fact that sound is transmitted 
or propagated by an electric current, without a perceptible 
tremor, is overthrown or explained by arguments more 
powerful than conjectured motions of the atoms of tele- 
phone wires, the assumption that sound is mere vibratory 
motions of matter, stands as a theoretical dogma and not 
an ascertained fact ; and before the undulatory theory of 
sound can consistently be extended into an imaginary 



In Allotropic Conditions. 51 



icther to explain the phenomena of vision, taste, smell or 
feeling, it must have a better foundation than the mere 
simultaneous facts of vibrating air, sound, and hearing, 
for this simultaneousness does not establish that hearing is 
dependent on vibration. 

The subtle agent, light, is the grand carrier agent to 
impart information and knowledge of the qualities of 
different objects ; and that part, or condition, of light 
adapted to the sense of hearing carries information of the 
inner qualities of bodies. If a bar of steel be struck with 
a hammer it emits a sound, that, to the practiced ear, gives 
as accurate information of its inner qualities as illuminating 
light would of its superficial qualities. A person holding 
a bar of steel, a bar of rolled iron, and a bar of cast iron, 
and striking them with a hammer, will readily distinguish 
the different sounds emitted from each. Workers in steel 
will distinguish in this way the different qualities of cast, 
blister, and spring steel, and will also distinguish and 
detect flaws, and impurities, and determine fine from the 
coarser varieties. The wide difference between the harsh 
rattling twang of Chinese gong metal, and the muffled, 
deadened tone of common rolled brass, when struck with 
a hammer, is detected by an inexperienced ear. The 
vibrating conditions of the different metals propagates an 
agent that reveals the precise condition of their inner 
qualities. The footsteps of a common house fly, in its 
ordinary walks, is never heard ; but as it walks on the 
sounding board of a microphone, the sound of its footsteps 
is taken up by the electric current, without the slightest 
traceable vibration, and carried to a distant part of the 
circuit, and there repeated. 

In explaining the fact that sound can be, and is, carried 
by electrical currents without vibrations, I assume that the 
electric current is a group of imponderable agents, and that 
light is one of the group. This fact, that light is one of 
the members forming the group of agents of an electrical 
current, will be referred to again in noticing the influence 
of a current on nerves, and organic matter and life. 

The group of agents in a sunbeam, when separated, 
reveal heat as a distinct agent, chemical influence as a 
distinct influence or agent, and light as another distinct 
agent, or part of the beam. Each of these distinct agents 



52 Identity of Light and Nerve- Force 



of the sunbeam, as is well known, have distinct properties 
which become manifest under varying conditions. Thus 
heat, as it exists in the sunbeam, readily passes through 
the intervening space between the sun and the earth ; 
readily passes through glass and other transparent bodies ; 
but if we examine obscure heat of low temperatures, as 
for example, heat from a plate of metal heated in boiling 
water, we find that the heat emitted from the metal will 
not pass through glass, or through a vacuum. Although 
this heat is the same heat that originally came from the 
sun and has lost no energy, yet we here find it manifesting 
different properties from heat as it existed in the beam of 
combined agents from the sun. These different properties 
of heat and other agents are what I have termed allotropic 
conditions. In the one condition we find heat and light 
traversing the distance from the sun in less than ten 
minutes ; in another of these conditions we find both heat 
and light dormant and asleep ; in one condition traveling 
over ten million of miles a minute ; in the other condition 
perfectly torpid, and without apparent energy. In its 
allotropic condition, as contained in or propagated from • 
the heated metal or hot water, heat manifests a compara- 
tively sluggish energy, as compared with its original energy 
and motion. The phenomena of dormant, torpid heat, in 
ice water, has become quite familiar to students — a condi- 
tion in which its ordinary properties are obscured. 

Similar facts obtain with light. We commonly know 
of light as the swift messenger of knowledge, bringing in- 
formation to the eye of distant objects — of their superficial 
qualities. It is also the messenger to each of the other 
senses ; it is the messenger that carries information of the in- 
ner qualities of steel, brass, wood, and other bodies which, 
when struck, are made to vibrate. Light, like heat, has its 
several allotropic conditions ; it exists in the torpid, dor- 
mant condition, fast asleep. It ^s in this condition when 
the bell, tuning-fork, or other body is made to vibrate. 
The vibrations develop it from its state of torpor, and be- 
coming partially roused from its lethargy, it creeps along 
the vibrating substance ; but, if allowed to cling and ride 
with other members of its family in an electric current, its 
motion is more rapid, confined to narrower lines it moves 
with greater velocity. 



In Alhtropic Conditions. 53 



Low tension heat, that refuses to radiate through a plate 
of glass, is called obscure heat, while the entire beam from 
the sun, including its heat, is commonly called light ; but 
much the greater part of this beam is of a non-illuminating 
character. The entire beam, however, is light, in the sense 
of being a medium and messenger of intelligence. In this 
sense the heating part of the beam is also light. We are 
conscious by the sense of feeling its warmth, of the presence 
of a warm body, and heat, emitted from the warm body, 
imparts the information. To do this the body first absorbs 
heat before imparting or emitting it ; and as we have 
already noticed the absorbed heat sometimes remains total- 
ly obscure and dormant for indefinite periods of time be- 
fore being emitted. And so of that part of the beam that 
affects the sense of hearing as sound ; it is absorbed, ob- 
scured, and remains dormant for indefinite periods of time, 
ready to be propagated by the vibrating conditions of mat- 
ter. This competence, or property of passing into the dor- 
mant, inactive state, enables the agent to pass into the dor- 
mant, inactive state in the organs of hearing, to be recalled 
for comparison in the process of remembering sounds once 
heard. 

But how it is possible for mechanical vibrations to pass 
into the dormant state and afterwards to become roused as 
identically the same vibrations that vanished from exis- 
tence, is an unsolved mystery and unsolvable problem. 

Heat that imparts the sensation of warmth is propagated 
through matter and adheres to that quality of matter that 
undergoes expansion ; and it is heat emitted from expanded 
bodies that carries information of their temperature. 

If we attempt to apply undulatory theories in explana- 
tion of the phenomena of human or organic life we soon 
find ourselves drifting into a jungle of impenetrable dark- 
ness — a vast ocean of empty nothingness. Mankind are 
provided with means for producing and maintaining an 
equitable temperature of 100 F. through their life period, 
and if this function is interfered with, by which higher or 
lower temperatures obtain control, the entire system be- 
comes deranged and life endangered. The undulatory 
theory asserts that heat is vibratory motion — a quivering 
of the universal aether, and that this aether permeates the 
animal body, surrounding its atoms and molecules, and that 



54 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



every minute part of this permeating aether vibrates and 
quivers many millions of times each second to maintain the 
warmth of a living human body — the vibrations of the aether 
being taken up by their material substance and constituting 
what we term warmth, or animal heat — it being understood 
in this connection that cold hands, feet, or other parts 
receive a fewer number of these mechanical impulses than 
the warm vital parts. 

How the sudden variations of temperature — cold chills, 
and sudden flashes of fever from one part of the system to 
another, are to be brought on by the all-pervading aether, 
is a puzzle and an unsolved problem. The warm nerves 
of hearing are supposed to be in this constant state of 
vibration like the rest of the body, to maintain their 
temperature. 

The senses of animal life are not only means for receiv- 
ing impressions and sensations, but they also have, or are 
associated with the faculty of remembering that similar 
sensations have been received in the past. The ear hears 
the roaring of lions, growling of tigers, braying of asses, 
barking of dogs, chirp of crickets, the ticking of a watch, 
or the sharp jingle of cymbals, the ripple and babble of 
brooks and the patter of rain drops, the whirling of winds, 
and the screech of panthers, the voice of command and 
sobs of entreaty, the round rippling laugh indicative of joy 
and the cadence of sorrow, the wild jar of discord and the 
concords of music — all the intricate variety of untold 
billions of different sounds reach the ear and give infor- 
mation of the objects that produced them. Sounds once 
heard are immediately recognized if heard again years 
afterwards ; but in what way these sounds, if they are 
merely undulations, merely vibrations of air, can be recalled 
for comparison after having totally vanished, has never 
been explained' and appears unexplainable. 

The undulatory theory of sound brings to the nerves of 
hearing a series of undulations vastly different from the 
undulations of aether that produces (in conjecture) the 
animal warmth. The vibrations to produce sounds only 
range from sixteen undulations up to sixty thousand undu- 
lations a second, while the aether, to produce heat, undergoes 
millions and billions of quivers. In the experiment quoted 
from Tyndall, the two tuning-forks are timed absolutely 



In Allotropic Conditions. 65 



alike, so that when one is set vibrating and the other 
brought near it, the still fork catches up the tone and 
vibrates in unison ; that it shall do this, however, the two 
forks must be tuned absolutely alike. 

" That the motion should thus transfer itself through 
the air it is necessary that the two forks should be in perfect 
unison. If a morsel of wax not larger than a pea be placed 
on one of the forks it is rendered thereby powerless to 
affect, or be affected by the other." 

The fork containing the morsel of wax or other 
additional* matter refuses to receive the tones of its former 
mate. If this principle obtains in the nerves of animals, 
how can the nerves of different animals, 01 the nerves of 
the same animal at different periods of its life, receive the 
same tones? Some are large, some small, some young, 
some old, some lean, some fat, and hence joined with vary- 
ing quantities of matter. The nerves are also already 
supposed to be vibrating with a velocity beyond conception 
to maintain animal warmth ; and how, with these motions, 
are they to receive, at the same time, the slow oscillations 
of sound, the varying and intense vibrations for vision, 
smell, taste, and feeling, unless we discard the principle of 
unison set forth by the tuning-forks and conjecture some 
different principle? This, however, is only the commence- 
ment of the difficulty. Each of the other senses are, by 
the undulatory theory, supposed to receive and carry by 
their respective nerves, other, and different rates of vibra- 
tions to be transmuted, or translated into mental impres- 
sions. 

The undulatory theory asserts that " what is sound 
within us is, outside of us, motion of air;" that the ticking 
of a watch, chirp of crickets, song of birds, music of bands, 
voices of people are, before they reach the brain, merely 
the vibrating motions of matter ; that the vibrating atoms 
of the bell or trumpet jog the atoms of the atmosphere 
with a mechanical impulse ; the atmosphere jogs the nerves 
of hearing with a similar impulse, the nerves of hearing 
jog the brain, the molecules of the brain jog these motions 
of air and nerves, and carry these mechanical impulses and 
translate^fhem into sounds and conscious knowledge. 



56 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



The undulatory theory of light asserts that incandescent 
combustion jogs the substance of the universal aether, the 
aether in its vibrating impulses jogs the surfaces of objects, 
and these, in turn, jog the aether, the jogging aether jogs 
the nerves of vision, these jogging hints jog the brain and 
these " strictly mechanical impulses," the molecules of the 
brain, translate into actual knowledge of objects. We 
direct our eyes to a tree loaded with leaves and fruit ; each 
of these thousands of leaves is different from its fellow 
leaf, and each of their analogies, and each of their differ- 
ences, sends its vibratory hints to the brain for translation. 
Each leaf is a little larger, or a little smaller, its point a 
little more sharp or a little more blunt, a little more curled 
or a little more straight, turns more to the right or more 
to the left, a little more up or a little more down, its edge 
is a little more notched, or a little more plain, its ribs more 
plump or more slim, it has a little more green, or a little 
more yellow ; having these, and a thousand more minute 
differences, from its fellow leaf, yet each and all these 
minute differences are supposed to be sent to the brain for 
explanation and translation by the infinitesimal quiverings 
of aether ; these qualities and differences jogging the nerves, 
the nerves jogging the brain by such varying rates in 
vibrations that the brain understands and conscious knowl- 
edge emerges from the hints. The various tones of a band 
of music reach the ear, and we discern a national air ; from 
drum and fife, trumpet and horn, clarionet and cymbal, 
cornet and flute, the high mellow voice of woman, and the 
full round bass of man, each and all send to the ear the 
same air in different tones, not as sounds, but as vibratory 
hints to be translated into sounds — into song and music.J 

The millions of pulsatory hints sent through the ear, 
and the billions on billions of pulsatory hints sent through 
the eye, are not the only hints to be translated into mental 
facts ; each of the other senses are also sending a stream of 
hints to the brain. If undulatory theories are correct 
there is a constant stream of vibrations to the ear for each 
tone, thousands for each different scent, millions from all 
parts of the body as hints of feeling, billions to the sense 
of vision, and all knocking at the brain for 'translation into 
the five classes of knowledge discerned by the senses. 

Ever since the undulatory theory of sound was adopted 



In Allotropic Conditions. 57 



there seems to have been a vague notion, in the minds of 
many writers of note, that imponderable agents might be 
discarded from philosophy, and effects previously referred 
to these agents explained by a conjectured aether undergo- 
ing various motions. Under this assumption, the notion, 
either expressed or implied, obtains, that the successive 
impact of atoms on atoms, or matter on matter, presents 
the sum total of cause and effect — the non-ending circle of 
the entire phenomena of atoms and worlds. But suppose 
the brain is jogged by merely mechanical hints pulsating 
through the several organs of sensation by aether and air, 
how does knowledge emerge, from this crash of atoms and 
impact of molecules ? The change from motion to thought 
is too vast for us to conceive. That motion generates 
thought, and to assume that what emerges from the brain 
is still mere motion, is to stultify our knowledge of mental 
phenomena — to flatter ourselves that we have explained 
them. 

The transcendent sensation of hearing was not explained, 
nor the key to sensation found by tracing the simultaneous 
facts of vibrations, sound, and hearing. There is something 
besides pulsation of air to reach the sense of hearing ; the 
qualities imparted to sound, by which we instinctively 
become conscious of the inner qualities of bodies that emit 
them, are not propagated by mere motion. The sensation 
of dread, induced by a serpent's hiss, of fear from a lion's 
roar, is as certain and accurate a discernment of their 
dangerous qualities and their relation to man, as are carried 
by the images of their forms formed in the eye. What is 
here assumed and asserted is, that the same messenger that 
travels through transparent bodies and reveals outward 
forms in the one case, travels, or is propagated through 
the vibratory condition of matter in the other case. In 
both cases, knowledge of distant objects is received — not 
manufactured from mechanical hints, but is enrolled on the 
canvas of light. Knowledge brought to the sense of 
hearing by the messenger of non-luminous light, enters the 
storehouse of knowledge both for immediate and for future 
use. Both canvas and enrollment, message and messenger, 
pass into the allotropic condition of inaction, from which 
they may be readily roused in the process of memory. 

The phenomena of sound is not transmuted nor trans- 



58 Identity of Light and tftrvc 



lated motions, but actual fact. The sounds that we hear 
are just what the sense of hearing declares them to be, and 
just where the sense of hearing locates them. To assert 
that sound is only in the brain, is to discard all of our ac- 
tual knowledge derived through this sense and to substitute 
an erroneous theory. We hear the rolling, reverberating 
thunder in the clouds, and that is where it is produced. 
Knowledge is as absolute as fact ; and the messenger that 
brings and reveals to sentient existence, facts, as declared 
by each of the five senses, reveals them as enrolled knowl- 
edge ; the agent that declares to the eye the existence of 
a distant ship, man or tree, embodies actual knowledge, 
and not quivering hints to be translated into knowledge by 
molecular changes of the brain substance. The embodi- 
ment of light as an essential part of man is analogous, 
and no more strange than the embodiment of heat as an 
essential agent of man and animal life. That light should 
enrol knowledge is entirely analogous, and no more strange 
than that heat should embody and carry force — no more 
strange than that an electric current should embody or 
carry sound, or magnetism, or heat, on connecting wires. 
What is here asserted of light embodying knowledge 
received by the eye, and knowledge received by the ear, 
applies to each of the other senses ; it is not only true that 
the eye receives actual knowledge on the canvas of light, 
true that the ear receives its knowledge by the same 
messenger, but it is also true that each of the senses of 
smell, taste and feeling, receive actual knowledge of facts, 
enrolled on the same agent — a knowledge that is just what 
each respective sense declares. 



What possible advantage can be derived by the brain 
from this storm of inconceivable motions, this impact of 
atoms and molecules on nerve or brain substance as set forth 
by undulatory theories ? None of these theoretical quiv- 
ering hints through the nerves have ever been discovered. 
If they reach the brain they vanish in a vast ocean of 
nothingness — leaving the mind that attempts to follow 
them in a confused jungle of absolute darkness that ends 
in an eternity of unceasing night. This entire system of 
jogging hints is largely founded on the original observation 
that sound is accompanied with vibrations, from which 



Tn AUotropic Conditions. 59 



sprung the theoretical assumption that all that affects the 
nerves of hearing is simply these vibrations. 

By keeping in view the fact that what touches con- 
sciousness in sensation is by the current theory merely 
conjectured, the relation of theory to theory turns on 
capacity of explanation. 

According to the teachings of astronomy the sun is 
shining from a disc eight hundred and eighty-seven thou- 
sand miles in diameter. Theories of light teach that every 
part of a shining, or illuminated body emits rays in all 
directions. By this view, rays from each and every part 
of the sun's surface pass through the narrow pupil of the 
eye when the sun is seen. If we conceive that this immense 
surface is covered with fine luminous grains of sand, and 
that from each and every grain of sand there is a spider's 
thread attenuated to the smallest conceivable size, and one 
of these threads from every grain of sand passes through 
the pupil of not only one eye, but of every eye, looking at 
the sun, one end of the thread touching the uncounted 
billions of sand grains and the other end touching the 
retina, then conceive each and every thread vibrating in 
every forty-thousandth part of its length not less than five 
hundred billions of times a second — if these immensities 
are conceivable — we can have a faint notion of the load 
under which the undulatory theory of light staggers. This 
theory is frequently called by scientific writers the grandest 
conception ever made by the human mind. If incompre- 
hensibility is essential to grandeur, this theory should be 
accorded the front rank. If these immensities of luminous 
surface and undulatory shimmerings are comprehended — 
if they ever are comprehended — we are no nearer a con- 
ception of what constitutes vision than before the mind was 
loaded with them. It seems like an attempt to account for 
the unaccountable — to explain the unexplainable. 

The theory is here noticed because many leading writers 
seem to have adopted the notion that a theory of light must 
be presented ; but why we should try to account for the 
existence of light and heat and other imponderable agents 
any more than we should explain and account for the 
existence of gold or iron is inconceivable. All such 
attempts heretofore made, or that probably ever will be 
made, only adds mystery to impenetrable darkness. We 



60 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



can examine the qualities and properties of ponderable 
matter, trace in succession the influence which imponder- 
able agents exert in changing the forms and positions of 
ponderable matter, learn the laws regulating the relations 
of ponderable and imponderable existences, but beyond this 
no human mind can go — the inner essence of each is as 
unfathomable as infinite space. 

The apparatus of the ear sustains the same relation to 
the sense of hearing and to the messenger of non-luminous 
light with its enrollment of knowledge of the various 
qualities of sounding bodies, that the apparatus of the eye 
does to luminous, or illuminating light with its enrollment 
of knowledge in images. The enrollment of Yankee 
Doodle, Hail Columbia, Home Sweet Home, on the agent of 
sound — an agent that traverses the vibrating atmosphere — is 
as actual as the enrollment of the forms of a horse, a house, 
or other body depicted on the retina of the eye. 

The organs of hearing differs in different classes of 
, animals, as is well known. An oyster's organ of hearing 
has not, with absolute certainty, been discovered ; but that 
they hear is well known. When quite a small lad I passed 
by a table in an outhouse, on which there was a number of 
these animals in their shells. I shut the door with a 
slamming noise and was very much surprised to hear their 
shells close with a slamming force as they withdrew into 
their shells. The organs of hearing in the fish are covered 
with a semi-transparent membrane that prevents air or 
water entering into the labyrinth and jogging the nerve 
with its pulsations, but it is well known that their sense of 
hearing is quite acute. 

That light is the enrolling agent that is propagated to 
impart the sensation of sound is very naturally suggested 
by the phenomena of singing flames. A common form of 
these flames is produced by placing a glass tube about thirty 
inches long, and two or three inches in diameter, over a 
gas flame ; the tubes are sometimes made of metal, some- 
times of wood, and as has already been noticed, tuning- 
forks, and other bodies will vibrate in unison with certain 
tones — certain sounds inducing vibrations, that in turn emit 
the same tone. On imparting the proper tone to the tube 
surrounding the flame it will emit the sound, and this will 
be taken up by the flame and both flame and tube will 



In AUotroptc Conditions. 61 



continue the tones indefinitely, unless disturbed. The 
vibrations of the air and the gases of the flame have been 
carefully counted and estimated and the number of vibra- 
tions for different tones ascertained. Tubes made of wood, 
metal, glass, or other material of different sizes and lengths, 
all differ in tones; and what is insisted on here is, that the 
non-luminous part or conditions of the rays emitted are 
competent to produce this phenomena of absorbing, emit- 
ting, and carrying sound from flames. 

A tinman's ordinary soldering iron, when heated below 
redness and before it emits light, if laid on a cold block of 
lead or smith's anvil, will emit a singing noise of a nature 
like singing gas flames. Now if the diaphragm of a 
telephone be set vibrating by either of these or other 
sounds, the insulated wire around its magnet catches up the 
carrying agent with its information of quality in tone, and 
carries them without vibrations for miles, and then delivers 
the agent and its information of song, music or noise, to 
the sense of hearing, showing that the carrying agent that 
reaches consciousness in hearing assimilates perfectly with 
what has long been known as imponderable agents. This 
evident analogy of sound to imponderable agents has been 
traced in a variety of ways, and has had a strong influence 
in attempts to bring other imponderable agents down to, 
and explain them by mere vibrations. But in these facts 
there is evidently something more subtile than vibrations 
of matter; for the induction wire around the telephone 
magnet may be insulated with glass, gutta-percha, or by a 
vacuum, and still the wire catches, and carries, and repeats 
the sounds; and to suppose that sounds can be carried 
through vacuums by vibrations is to discard the current 
explanation of sound. 

This fact, that sounds, and the agent that carries them, 
can be made or guided to leave vibrating matter and follow 
other paths, is somewhat analogous to the familiar fact of 
the conduction of heat — that is, of radiant heat and working 
heat, in causing expansion of substance. Thus the material 
substance of a bar of iron in becoming hot shows an 
expanding motion ; and if touched with the finger will 
cause an intense burning sensation. It imparts the sensa- 
tion of heat, simultaneously with the expansion of the 
iron ; but the sensation of burning may be received without 



62 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



touching the bar — the subtile agent may be concentrated 
from its radiant heat, or from the sunbeam's heat, passed 
through vacuums and cause a severe burn. The movement 
of the molecules of the bar of iron may be traced in 
expanding the bar ; but it cannot be said that these move- 
ments are essential to cause the burning — thev are simply 
simultaneous facts with the moving of heat, just as the 
vibratory movements of gas flames and vibrating air are 
simultaneous facts with the movement of the agent that 
imparts the sensation of sound. 

A common illustration of the vibratory condition of the 
atmosphere is to place a glass vase over an automatic bell 
and exhaust the vase of its air. On causing the bell to ring 
in the exhausted receiver no sound is heard outside, but on 
slowly admitting the air within the vase, first faint, then 
louder sounds are heard, caused as the air acquires its 
usual condition the full sound is again heard. In connec- 
tion with this experiment, an additional fact may be 
mentioned which may be termed bottling up sound. After 
a small portion of air is readmitted within the receiver, 
and the bell sends out a faint sound, if hydrogen gas be 
introduced within the receiver it mingles with the air and 
prevents the sound being heard ; the bell still vibrates, but 
no sound is heard outside ; the mixture of air and hydrogen 
absorbs the sound just as ice water will absorb heat without 
the heat rendering the water apparently any warmer — the 
water will absorb heat, but until the last drop of ice is 
melted, the absorbed heat does not raise its temperature. 
If air be admitted within the vase alone around the vibrat- 
ing bell, sound is emitted ; or if hydrogen be admitted 
alone, the sound of the bell is heard outside ; but whsn the 
mixture of air and hydrogen surrounds the bell, the sound 
from the bell is absorbed by the mixture — the combination 
of the two fails to propagate the agent from the vibrating 
bell ; but if a stick of wood or other conductor of sound 
be extended through the mixture and glass, the sound will 
travel through the stick and be heard. The same fact of 
concealed sound, or the agent that imparts the sensation to 
the ear, exists in a wire carrying sound ; the agent has 
folded within the conducting wire its message from sigh* 
and hearing ; but like the images or impressions of maferi- 1 
objects, which reach the organ of vision from every direction. 



In Allotropic Conditions. 63 



are unseen in the atmosphere on the route until revealed by 
a mirror or lens. So of the sounds carried by an electric 
wire, or sounds absorbed by a mixture of these gases. 
Both the wire and the mixture present a condition of matter 
that absorbs the aliotropic light that is manifest in sound ; 
but on altering the condition of the wire, making it non- 
electric by disconnecting the current, or by changing the 
mixture of the gases, sounds which each condition of 
matter concealed may then be guided into conditions of 
matter that reveals them. 

The vibratory theory of sound appears to be held by a 
great many under the impression that it is a connecting link 
between matter and mind, between hearing and sound ; and 
in extending it to the vibrations of sether, between objects 
and vision, between phenomena and sensation, this link is 
conjectured to be still further extended; not that there has 
been any absolute dependence or connection between feeling 
and rates of motion discovered, but as the rates of material 
vibrations increase and their oscillations become more 
rapid than the human mind can conceive, their motion 
becomes mysterious and incomprehensible ; and these im- 
perceptible motions are conjectured as offering a sort of 
northwest passage between facts and apprehension ; bet ween 
objects and sensation, phenomena and comprehension. But 
in the sensation of hearing, when no sounds are produced, 
or of the sensation of seeing things when there are no 
objects visible, or of the sensation of feeling cold when in 
a warm room, in these and other erroneous sensations 
their development is due to internal, instead of external 
causes. To say of these erroneous sounds, that what is 
sound within us, is outside of us motion of air ; or to say 
of images of objects that appear when none such exist, that 
what is vision within us is, outside of us vibrations or 
undulations of aether, is evidently wrong, for the ear may 
be shut off' from the atmosphere, and the eye closed from 
light, yet these sounds continue, and visions spring up 
before the eyes. 

Not long after I had taken the extra dose of quinine, of 
which I spoke, I was out hunting squirrels with a gentle- 
man by the name of M , and while standing only a 

few feet from him, and no person within hearing distance, 
he suddenly turned to me and said, "Did you hear William 



64 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



speak to me?" I did not hear a sound of any kind ; 
everything around seemed unusually still, and I answered 
that I certainly had not heard William speak, and assured 
him that I could not see how it was possible. • William 
was his brother, who had suddenly lost his life only about 
a week previously by an accident, and had been buried 
several days. He insisted that he could not be mistaken 
in the voice; that it certainly was that of his brother 
William, and that he spoke in the most natural tone, and 
said to him, " Are you ready ? " The incident made quite 
an impression on him, and the next day he took his gun 
and went alone to the same part of the woods. After being 
there some little time, and while sitting on a log, at just 
about the same hour, he was asked the same question in 
precisely the same voice, and when he came back he 
insisted that it was his brother's voice. He had both 
expected and feared that he would hear the voice before he 
went to the wood, but when the dead man's voice was 
really heard it made a very strong impression. The next 
day he was asked the very same question, at about the 
same time of day, in his own shop, there being others 
present, but none heard the voice. He afterwards went to 
the woods, hoping to heai the voice again, and expecting 
to ask several questions, but the question was never 
repeated, nor did he hear the voice again ; but he ceased 
his excessive swearing. Not long after hearing him relate 
the incident several times, I had occasion to run nearly 
half a mile as fast as I could. I then sat down to rest a 
few minutes , and on rising from my seat I heard, or 
imagined that I heard, a band of music quite near, playing 
a piecje of music that sounded precisely as it did in the 
circus of which I have spoken. The sound of the cornet, 
clarionet, trombone, bass drum, were each as distictly 
reproduced, and as plainly heard as when I was in the 
circus tent ; yet there was no band anywhere in the vicinity, 
or even scarcely a sound near me. The music died out in 
a few minutes and vanished from my hearing. I knew a 
lady who lost three small children, in succession, from 
diphtheria, and for several months afterwards she continued 
to hear their voices around the house and yard ; she felt 
confident that the children came back to visit and play. I 
also knew a gentleman who was troubled with catarrh in 



in Allotropic Conditions. 65 



his head, and at times he would hear sounds resemfring 
the puff of an engine. 

These illusions of the sense of hearing are not referred 
to here as anomalous or unusual ; on the other hand, they 
are quite common. Every one has either heard these false 
sounds*, or has heard of similar experiences from others. 
The Apostle Paul was startled into sudden conviction of 
his evil life and wrong doing by a similar voice, asking, 
"Paul, Paul, why persecutest thou me?" Martin Luther, 
as is recorded in his history, frequently saw the devil and 
had several tussels with him, some of which were wordy 
and some ending in a trial of personal strength — he once 
throwing his inkstand at the vanquished and retiring devil. 
Joan of Arc heard, as she believed, the voice of St. 
Michael, and other holy persons, urging heron in her work 
of patriotism and religion. 

Such illusions are easily brought about by the use of 
drugs of various kinds, and it is not many hundred years 
ago that drugs were sold for the express purpose of bringing 
the living spirit of man in communion and communication 
with the spirits of his deceased friends, through what is 
now well understood as illusions, produced by the tempo- 
rary but disordered state of the nerves of hearing. The 
Mohamedans and Asiatics still adhere to this mode of 
communion with spirits. They usually commence by 
fasting, for seven days, then retire to a lonely place, where 
they then burn incense of aloes, benzoin, mastic, hemp and 
various gums that tend to intoxicate, read certain chapters 
from the Koran at least a thousand times, and under this 
exhausting and disturbing influence of the nervous system, 
they seldom fail in rousing and sending allotropic light, as 
nerve force, over and through the nerves, with the enroll- 
ments of spirits, devils, images, sounds, odors, flavors, 
pains, pleasures and all the illusions of disjointed fragments 
of facts, fancies or thoughts which the various senses have 
enrolled in memory. Opium eaters, hasheesh smokers, and 
even alcohol drinkers still continue to find pleasure, and 
eventually pain in similar modes of producing illusions. It 
is well known to the medical world that very large and 
repeated doses of morphine, quinine and other drugs bring 
on chronic disorders of the sense of hearing, so that a 
constant humming noise is heard, accompanied with all 



titt Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



kinds of sounds, and that illusions of each of the senses 
can be produced in a similar way. 

It is a significant, although not an essential fact, that 
illusions of sight — and often of the other senses — as well, 
as sudden disorders of the nerves, as in epileptic fits, that 
such disorders are usually ushered in and preceded by 
sudden flashes of light appearing before the eyes and often 
permeating the entire body. This is commonly the case 
with those who fall into the trance state. Persons having 
St. Vitus Dance often see flashes of fire before or within 
themselves, sometimes only dim halos of light surround 
them, at other times, this light is described as of a fiery 
red color. 

The early history of Mahomet shows that he was an 
epileptic, and his early visions were accompanied with 
halos of light, sometimes mild and sometimes flashing balls 
of fire. In his lonely walks near Mecca, the hills and 
stones were at times all aglow with these delusive lights 
and figures ; the air full of voices of spirits ; the earth 
and rocks greeted him with, " Hail to thee, messenger of 
God ! " Like most epileptics, if not all, his trance states 
were preceded by lights and luminous flashes both within 
and around him. This luminous character of disordered 
nerve force cannot be deemed essential to illusions or 
delusions of the senses, for the senses of hearing, smelling, 
feeling and taste, if I have correctly interpreted their 
character, are founded on the non-luminous rays of light, 
and only that of vision on the luminous. But these flashes 
and halos of light from disordered nerves serve to confirm 
the statement or hypothesis herein set forth : That facts 
are absolute, and that knowledge is an enrollment of these 
absolute facts on the canvas and messenger of light. For 
we can then understand that w r hen this messenger with its 
enrollment of knowledge and force is disturbed and roused 
from its dormant state in nerve matter, that the messenger 
with its enrollments should sometimes appear as lights, 
halos, fire balls, images and spectres; and that what is 
roused from an irritated or disordered nerve of hearing 
should correspond with sounds that have been received and 
gathered — 'enrolled as sentient knowledge as force may be 
embodied in muscles. 

In galvanic batteries we see oxygen separating from 



In AUotropic Conditions. 67 



water and uniting with zinc, and in this and similar 
interchanges of the material elements we trace a simul- 
taneous fact of the propagation of electricity. And again, 
when a bar of iron or other metal shrinks in cooling, or 
when water congeals, we also trace a motion of their 
molecules, and simultaneous with this motion a propagation 
of heat. We have in these facts a simultaneous motion of 
substance and the propagation of the subtile imponderable 
agents, and if I have correctly interpreted the phenomena 
of sound we have a corresponding fact of the simultaneous 
movement of a subtile agent propagated by vibrating air 
and other matter. This subtle agent that carries sound 
and the knowledge and information derived from sounds, 
as already put forth, is a non-luminous condition of light. 
And when we consider that sounds are taken up and 
continued by gas flames, also eliminated by what to the 
human eye are non-luminous rays emitted from a hot iron 
on a bar of lead, and that these sounds are taken up and 
carried by electric currents precisely as an electric current 
takes up heat, and magnetism and other subtile agents 
without an appreciable vibration, the inference that sound 
belongs to the group of subtile imponderable agents with 
light aud muscular force is almost irresistible. We know 
that heat and electricity, magnetism and light are propa- 
gated by both the mechanical and chemical crash of atoms, 
and in the present state of knowledge we cannot say that 
sound outside of consciousness does not exist — -but we can 
say that sound is propagated by vibrations. There is no 
question but that music, talk, all kinds of sounds are 
propagated through the air and elastic bodies by vibrations 
of their substance. These vibrations are an actual fact; 
they may be rendered visible, may be felt, and their 
relative numbers counted or ascertained ; but in addition 
to their actual vibrations of material substance there is an 
invisible messenger of information to produce the sense of 
sound. In the phenomena of this sense, and also in the 
phenomena of each of the other senses, there is the working 
of the same broad principle which is presented in the 
phenomena of vision. We ignite a gas, or light a lamp 
and light is emitted. There is in the phenomena a clash 
of atoms. Oxygen and carbon meet, and we are able to 
trace an actual motion of their substance ; bat in addition 



68 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



to the clash of atoms of their actual substance there is also 
propagated the subtile illuminating agent that passes 
through transparent solids — an agent that is the actual 
enrolling agent and messenger of information to reach 
perception in the sense of sight. And so of the sense of 
hearing. In addition to the ascertained vibrations that 
propagate sound, there is not only the movement of 
material substance, but there is also a subtile agent — an 
agent that is the actual messenger to carry information and 
knowledge to .the sense of hearing — an agent that consists 
of a non-luminous condition of light. 

The explanation of delusive sounds, as well as delusive 
lights, developed by internal derangements of nerve matter, 
involves the discussion of polarized light. What can be 
said here is, that both luminous and non-luminous parts of 
the sunbeam becomes divided or polarized by the nerves of 
the senses ; and that part of the beam that has gathered 
information carries its enrolled knowledge into the sentient 
nerves, while that part of the beam that embodies actual 
rearranging force becomes absorbed and retained in motor 
nerves — each part of the polarized beam being essential to 
the normal performance of a function. When, however, 
a nerve which holds re-arranging force becomes disturbed — 
developing only force without its sentient guide — tremors, 
twitchings, spasms, fits, &c, &c, — as abnormal actions of the 
muscles occur ; while if the sentient nerves holding infor- 
mation and knowledge becomes roused in abnormal process, 
the derangement startles the sleeping messenger into 
phrenzied displays of its messages of enrolled facts, thoughts 
and panoramic phenomena. 



Smell, Feeling and Taste. 

The discussion of the sense of smell, feeling and taste 
is here omitted as the principle already developed in 
discussing sight and hearing, is easily applied to each of 
the other senses, it being understood that odors and smell 
are founded on certain conditions of the same subtile agent 
having different modes of propagation. We know that 
odors are propagated by convection — conveyed on actual 
substance. As an illustration of the conveyance or con- 



In Allotropic Conditions. 



vection of a subtile agent, we may heat one end of an iron 
rod red-hot and carry the hot end into gunpowder, and in 
this movement we perceive that the subtile agent of heat 
has been carried to the explosive. Or we may heat water 
until it becomes elastic steam ; by the absorption of heat 
it acquires convecting power — the elastic power of the 
water carries the absorbed heat and delivers it to other 
objects of inferior temperature. So of odors, sufficient 
heat is absorbed and retained to render their substance 
volatile, and in conjunction with this absorbed heat their 
substance has absorbed non -luminous light that is carried 
and delivered instead of heat — the subtile agent having 
gathered information of those qualities that we recognize 
as odors, and that impart the seDsation to the sense of smell 
by this messenger. An odor once smelt — as of a rose or 
an onion — is somehow retained in memory for reference 
and comparison, and what has been said of sight and 
hearing applies to this sense — a messenger has gathered 
information of properties and qualities of objects and 
enrolled them on its canvas and the enrolling agent, with 
its information imparted by odors, becomes stored as actual 
knowledge. 

In one phase of the sense of feeling we perceive, and 
are conscious, of the transfer of the subtile agent of heat. 
But in addition to the capacity of this sense of feeling to 
detect heat or warmth, it also detects and reveals the forms 
and position of objects. In conjunction with the transfer 
of the agent of heat — an agent that reveals temperature — 
non-luminous light is also propagated, that carries and 
reveals information of other qualities of the forms and 
substance felt. 

The sense of taste gathers information of other quali- 
ties of objects — qualities that are in the dormant inactive 
state, but that become active in the processes of solution 
and disintegration. Qualities of sweetness, sourness, 
acrid or bitter, &c, &c, exist in certain substances, and we 
know of their existence by the information propagated to 
this sense by processes that send the subtile agent with its 
messages from the dormant state into the perceptive nerves 
of the mouth. 

In three of the senses, we have or can trace the action 
or manifestation of the subtile messenger of light. We 



70 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



have followed it into the apparatus of the eye, penetrating 
its actual substance a considerable distance. Then in the 
sense of feeling we find heat — one of the members of nerve 
force — actually traveling to impart information of warmth, 
and at the same time there is imparted information of 
other qualities of form, position, &c, and it requires no 
great stretch of imagination to suppose that these qualities 
are carried and revealed by the other members of the 
sun's beam. 

In examining the phenomena of sounds and the sense 
of hearing, we have traced the development and propaga- 
tion of sound in non-luminous light. Then if we attempt 
an analysis of the sense of taste, as when the tongue is 
touched with pepper, horseradish or wild turnip, we are 
startled by a thrill that traverses a large circle of nerves, 
and a part of this current thrill is, by presumption, due to 
the rearranging force contained in sunlight and condensed 
in the substance of these vegetables. 

As the dormant state of knowledge and force has 
already been referred to a number of times, and will 
frequently be alluded to again, a few words here on 
dormant conditions will place the character of absorbed 
and dormant forces before the reader and srive broader 
views of allotropic relations of force and substance ; for 
whether we follow instinct, intelligence, or the interchang- 
ing capabilities of nerve force, we shall find each of the 
members of this trinity group from the sunbeam in the 
inactive and dormant condition, as well as in the active 
condition. We shall find information and judgment, 
memory, muscular force and vital processes, sometimes 
inactive, and with their presiding nerve force asleep. 

Heat, as one part of the sunbeam, is frequently traced 
into inactive conditions remaining for indefinite periods 
without loss ol energy. 



Allotropic States of Organic Forces. 

Before passing to the direct origin or development of 
nerve force within the animal system, it is desirable that 
we shall have a clear understanding of the indirect origin 
of the force. As already said, this indirect origin is the 



In Allotropic Conditions. 71 



sunbeam's rays. We can trace the absolute absorption of 
these rays into the substance of matter ; follow in succes- 
sion the change produced in matter by this absorption of 
the sunbeam's forces — this compounding of material and 
immaterial — then follow these compounds of material and 
immaterial into the forms of animate life, then trace the 
development of nerve force transferred from these com- 
pounds of material and immaterial, these unions of matter 
and the sunbeam's rays, and again find that the material 
substance, after transferring its absorbed agents and forces 
to the nerves of animal life, is again in its previous 
condition of inorganic refuse, again incapable of furnishing 
vital forces to organic life ; but again susceptible of again 
absorbing the sunbeam's agents and forces. 

This non-ending circle of absorbing immaterial light 
by material substance produces one of those conditions of 
matter which are here termed allotropic, while the transfer 
and discharge of the absorbed forces and agents produces 
another but different condition of the substance, also called 
allotropic — the condition of the substance in which it holds 
the sunbeam's rays, adapting the substance for organic 
life — -the other condition of the substance in which these 
absorbed agents are transferred and discharged, rendering 
the substance unsuitable for organic, but adapting the 
substance for inorganic and inanimate compounds. 

This view of the character of allotropic conditions of 
matter is, as far as I am aware, now presented for the first 
time. It is however well known to chemists that the 
primary elements of matter have what have been termed 
allotropic conditions, as of hardness, fluidity, flexibility, 
&c, &c. These facts of allotropic states of matter are not 
novel, but what is insisted on here is, that these allotropic 
states are absolutely and positively due to the absorption 
and retention of immaterial agents, and the compounding 
the material with the immaterial, the union of matter and 
force, the combination of agents and substance. Neither 
is the fact that immaterial agents can be and are absorbed 
by material substance novel, or a new discovery ; but what 
is insisted on here is that by the absorption, transfer and 
discharge of the sunbeam's group of forces by and from 
substance, the agents and forces undergo a corresponding 



72 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



change which I have termed allotropic change and condi- 
tions of the agents and forces. 

The stray facts of allotropic conditions of matter, and 
the disconnected facts relating to allotropic conditions of 
force are quite familiar to students ; but their mutual 
relations, and their capacity to furnish a full and clear 
explanation of the dividing line between organic and 
inorganic nature, between the animate and the inanimate, 
between the living and the dead, are herein presented as 
novel. As the indirect origin of nerve force, the sunbeam's 
group of forces are absorbed by material substance, remain 
dormant for indefinite periods of time, then by allotropic 
changes these absorbed rays reappear as nerve force — their 
development as agents traversing animal nerves, being due 
to the allotropic changes of the material substance which 
have absorbed and retained the sunbeam's rays. 

In this discussion of the identity of light and nerve 
force, these conditions and changes of matter, and these 
transfers of imponderable agents and forces, which I have 
termed allotropic, have been frequently referred to for the 
reason that allotropic conditions and allotropic changes give 
us the foundation for our real and positive knowledge of 
the real dividing line between the organic and the inor- 
ganic, the living and the dead. These allotropic conditions 
and changes not only furnish facts for clearly drawing the 
dividing line between the animate and the inanimate, but 
they also enable us to follow in succession the rearranging 
forces of organic life in the vegetable kingdom ; then the 
combination of rearranging force with locomotive force in 
low orders of animal life, followed in higher orders with 
insticts ; then with grades of intelligence, finally followed 
in man with miniature sparks of omniscience. 

The doctrine of organic forces, as taught by many 
leaders, is thus stated by Professor Tyndall : " The build- 
ing up of the vegetable then is effected by the sun, through 
the reduction of chemical compounds. The phenomena of 
animal life are more or less complicated reversals of these 
processes of reduction. We eat the vegetable, and we 
breathe the oxygen of the air ; and in our bodies the 
oxygen which had been lifted from the carbon and hydro- 
gen by the action of the sun again falls towards them, 
producing animal heat, and developing animal forms." 



In Alloiropic Conditions. 78 



" The nature of the animal body is that of organic nature. 
There is no substance in the animal tissues which is not 
previously derived from the rocks, the water and the air. 
Are the forces of organic matter then different in kind 
from those of inorganic matter ? The philosophy of the 
present day negatives the question. It is the compounding 
in the organic world of forces belonging equally to the 
inorganic that constitutes the mystery and the miracle of 
vitality. Every portion of every animal body may be 
reduced to purely inorganic matter. A perfect reversal of 
this process of reduction will carry us from the inorganic 
to the organic ; and such a reversal is at least conceivable." 
" The tendency of modern science is to break down the 
wall of partition between organic and inorganic, and to 
reduce both to the operation of forces which are the same 
in kind but which are variously compounded." — Tyndall in 
Fragments of Science. 

It is always a pleasure to read or quote from Professor 
Tyndall on the subjects of which he treats whether we 
differ with his views or not ; for whether it be facts or 
philosophy, his position is stated fairly and clear. In the 
above quotation there is no ambiguity, no uncertain mean- 
ing to the words, and it is undoubtedly true that for a 
considerable time many prominent writers have taught that 
there was no real dividing line between the animate and 
the inanimate ; but with these views and the inference 
which I have drawn from allotropic facts, there is diiect 
conflict ; and in a conflict for supremacy one fact is worth 
a bushel of theories. So lar from a proper grouping of 
modern facts tending to break down the wall of partition 
between the organic and inorganic worlds, both the facts 
and all legitimate inferences from them tend to build and 
establish a still more impassable barrier-wall between the 
organic and inorganic, between the living and the dead. 
The inference so frequently drawn that because the human 
body is composed of substance found in rocks, and water 
and air, it can contain nothing but what rocks, water and 
air contain, is completely overthrown by the facts of 
allotropic relations. The allotropic conditions of matter 
and the allotropic conditions of force enable us to trace 
clearly and distinctly the distinction between organic and 



74 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



inorganic matter ; they enable us to understand clearly how 
the same material elements can be at one time endowed 
with life, and at another time totally devoid of life ; at one 
time endowed with heat, at another time totally devoid of 
heat ; at one time endowed or charged with magnetism, 
then with the magnetism totally discharged ; at one time 
endowed or charged with chemical affinity and chemical 
properties, at other times totally devoid of chemical 
affinity and chemical properties. In other words, the allo- 
tropic conditions and states of matter show an absorption, 
and a retention of imponderable agents, and receive there- 
from certain properties, and at other times by the discharge 
of these agents and absorption of other agents their 
properties become changed ; properties imparted by one 
agent vanish by the discharge of the agent to be superceded 
by other properties imparted by other agents — the organic 
forces of life, muscular force, nerve force, viability, &c, 
being in this respect like magnetism, electricity, chemical 
affinity or i heat, capable of being transferred from one 
substance Jto another, and remain with greater or less 
degrees of permanency. 

If we hold a common sun-glass so as to concentrate the 
rays of the sun on the hand, we soon experience a sharp 
burning sensation ; heat concentrated in this way has been 
made to cook meat and to run engines. If the heat be 
concentrated on a lump of ice the heat is absorbed by the 
substance of the ice, and, although large amounts of heat 
may become absorbed by the ice, it does not of necessity 
heat the substance the slightest perceptible degree — it 
simply alters its structure — it changes a hard solid to a 
mobile liquid. 



Allotropic States of Organic Forces — Allotropic 
Conditions of Heat — Latent Heat. 

The inactive condition of heat was first pointed out by 
Dr. Black ; he noticed that heat was absorbed and retained 
by ice-water without affecting the thermometer. In Dr. 
Black's original discovery, he found that by mixing hot 
water with an equal quantity of water at ordinary tempera- 
tures, the mixture would have an intermediate tern- 



In Allotropic Conditions. 75 



perature — the hot water would lose just as much heat as 
the cool water would gain , but if the hot water was mixed 
with an equal quantity of frozen water the mixture would 
not show an intermediate temperature ; there would be no 
rise of temperature of the mixture until the ice was all 
melted ; the ice appeared to absorb an amount of heat and 
pass it into an inactive, dormant, insensible state or 
condition. This fact is stated in Miller's Elements of 
Chemistry in a very clear manner, as follows : 

" Disappearance of heat during liquifaction, when 
matter passes from the solid into the liquid state, or from 
the liquid into the aeriform state, heat in large quantities 
disappear, and ceases for the time to affect the temperature ; 
hence this modification of heat is called latent heat. For 
example, when a lump of ice at thirty-two is brought into 
a warm room it gradually thaws and is converted into 
water ; but neither the ^ce nor the water in contact with it 
rises in temperature ; so long as any portion of the ice 
remains unmelted the water continues to indicate the 
temperature of thirty-two, as does also the ice. Again, a 
pound of water at 212, mixed with a pound of water at 32, 
gives two pounds of water at 122, which is the mean 
temperature ; but a pound of ice at 32, mixed with a pound 
of water at 212, gives two pounds of water, of which the 
temperature is only 51. In this case the water has lost 161 
degrees, whilst the ice has gained only 19 degrees, so that 
142 degrees have disappeared, or have become latent. 
Hence in order to convert a pound of ice at 32, into water 
at 32, heat sufficient to raise 142 pounds of water from 32 
to 33 is needed. This heat, however, is not lost, for if the 
progressive cooling of water be observed in an atmosphere 
many degrees below the freezing point, it will be found that 
the temperature of the liquid sinks regularly until it 
reaches 32, when it becomes stationary and freezing begins ; 
the heat being supplied by that which is latent in the water. 
As soon as the whole has become solid the thermometer 
again shows that the temperature of the mass sinks until 
at length it reaches that of the surrounding air ; some idea 
of the quantity of heat that is required to convert ice into 
water without any apparent rise in temperature may be 
formed from the fact that the simple conversion of a cube 
of ice three feet in the side into water also at 32, would 



76 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



absorb the whole heat emitted during the combustion of a 
bushel of coal." 

The latent heat of water is greater than any other 
known substance, but all other substances are. known to 
acquire latent heat ; that is, heat will be absorbed by them 
and disappear, and remain inactive for a time and after- 
wards become free and produce heating effects. The source 
of heat for this purpose is immaterial ; we may concentrate 
the sun's rays on a cake of ice and they will be absorbed 
without the ice becoming sensibly hotter. When crystalline 
salts dissolve in water heat becomes latent and disappears; 
advantage of this fact is taken in making freezing 
mixtures ; one of the most common and convenient being 
ice or snow and salt, the salt in dissolving absorbing heat 
from any body in contact with it. There are a variety of 
circumstances that influence the conversion of latent into 
free and sensible heat ; if we expose a hot saturated 
solution of salt, made by mixing snow with the salt, to the 
vapor of boiling water, the steam or vapor condenses in 
the solution, and although the solution was only 212 and 
the steam was only 212, the solution will become hotter 
and rise to 250 by the latent heat of the solution becoming 
free and sensible ; or we may make a saturated solution of 
Glauber salts hot and pour it into a bottle, cork it tight, 
and let it cool ; after a time on removing the cork the salt 
will suddenly crystallize, the latent heat becoming free and 
making the mass quite warm. 

We can form a fair conception of the difference between 
active and inactive heat by touching the finger to a bit of 
coal no larger than a pin's head and contrasting the effect 
on the ringer with the effect produced by dipping the finger 
into a glass of water ; the glass of water may contain a 
very much greater amount of heat than the bit of coal, but 
its immediate effects are imperceptible, while an intense 
burning will be derived from the coal. Every one is 
familiar with the large amount of heat evolved by the 
burning of a pail of coal in a common stove ; yet all the 
heat evolved by this amount of burning coal is readily 
absorbed by a tub of ice without raising its temperature a 
perceptible degree. The most delicate thermometer will not 
detect the slightest increase of temperature from the heat 
absorbed and passed into the latent state in ice water ; a 



In Allotropic Conditions. 77 

thirsty camel would readily drink the absorbed heat 
obtained from a pail of burnt coal and manifest a feeling 
of comfort and satisfaction after swallowing this combina- 
tion of material substance and immaterial force. 

Our animal heat is derived from what we eat, drink and 
breathe ; it exists in these substances by reason of having 
been absorbed from sunbeams, and is developed from the 
latent state by the processes that take place within the 
body. In these processes heat is more especially developed 
from food than from water — water serving rather as a 
regulator than as a source of heat ; rise of temperature 
being prevented by evaporation from the skin. 



Allotropic States of Organic Forces — Agents Other 
Than Heat. 

What has been herein presented of the imponderable 
agent of heat is also true of each and all imponderable 
agents, including light with its trinity group of illuminat- 
ing, heating and rearranging force. It is well known that 
light is absorbed by vegetation, producing perceptible 
effects in changing its color and vigor of growth. When a 
board is laid on growing grass so as to exclude light, the 
grass soon presents a bleached and sickly look, that is 
rapidly changed to a vigorous and healthy appearance by 
removing the board and allowing the grass to absorb light. 

By the absorption of heat by ice, we perceive that the 
absorbed heat makes a perceptible change in the substance — 
converting a hard solid to a mobile liquid. And again in 
the absorption of light by vegetation we perceive that a 
change is effected — changing its color and imparting vigor. 
In these processes, by which imponderable agents are 
absorbed, we perceive allotropic changes of substance due 
to the absorption and detention of imponderable agents in 
dormant states — for neither the heat in the ice water nor 
the absorbed light in the vegetable are appreciable to 
immediate perception ; but the absorbed agents have 
produced perceptible effects — allotropic changes of sub- 
stance ; and in the processes that develop these dormant 
agents and bring them into the active states again, we can 
trace allotropic changes of force — changes from the dormant 



Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



to the active conditions. Around this central fact of 
allotropic change are grouped organic structure and organic 
life. 

It is pretty generally known that in connection with the 
luminous rays of light there are non-luminous rays — rays 
that do not excite the organs of vision. Some of the 
properties of these invisible rays have become familiar to 
the public in the art of photography — photographic impres- 
sions being largely due to invisible rays. 

Tyndall, in Scientific Materialism, says : u Two-thirds 
of the rays emitted by the sun fail to arouse the sense of 
vision. The rays exist, but the visual organ requisite for 
their transmutation into light does not exist, and so from 
this region of darkness and mystery, which surrounds his 
rays may now be darting that which requires but the 
development of the proper intellectual organs to translate 
them into knowledge, as far surpassing ours as ours sur- 
passes that of the wallowing reptiles which once held 
possession of this planet. Meanwhile the mysterv is not 
without its uses ; it certainly may be made a power of the 
human soul, but it is a power which has feeling not knowl- 
edge for its base, it may be, will be, and T hope is turned 
to account both in steadying and strengthening the intellect 
and rescuing man from that littleness to which in the 
struggle for existence or for precedence in the world he is 
cod tin nail y prone." 

Some of these invisible rays, as already noticed, deter- 
mines an allotropic change in the properties of matter, 
changing for example, carbonic acid from a substance charg- 
ed with chemical properties and fitting it for the uses of 
organic life through the leaves of vegetation. It is through 
the influence of the invisible rays of heat that ice is chang- 
ed to water. 

Instead of adopting the view presented by Tyndall in 
the above extract, of invisible rays requiring the develop- 
ment of other intellectual organs for their translation into 
knowledge, it is here suggested that they are the source of 
instincts. The force that becomes manifest in animal nerves 
is so completely interwoven in organic structures that its 
study involves the entire plan of organic life. The nerve 
force not only traverses the nerves of animals, but it actu- 
ally permeates the entire forms of organic life. The tiniest 



tn Altotropic Conditions. 79 



moss or mould tbat overspreads decaying forms of life, 
holds within its material molecules a share of the force 
and sentient group. These low forms, in their instinctive 
modes of carrying out their plan ol life, reveal incipient 
intelligence and executive force. These qualities of living 
things are no more inherent properties of the substance of 
which they are composed than fluidity is the inherent 
property of the substance of which water is composed. 
In order that the substance of which water is composed 
shall become fluid it must absorb and retain a fixed and 
definite amount of absolute heat ; and in order that this 
substance shall assume the gaseous state of steam, it must 
absorb and retain another fixed and definite quantity of 
heat. The retention and fixation of these definite amounts 
of actual heat, first in forming water, then a larger amount 
in forming steam produces the allotropic states of fluid, 
and gaseous oxide of hydrogen. In extending this prin- 
ciple to the actual absorption and fixation of light and 
other agents in material substance, it is here claimed that 
the substance envelops and retains the agent in dormant 
inactive states for its future appearance as nerve force. 

As already said, the sentient and force qualities manifest 
in nerve phenomena are no more confined to nerves and 
nerve substance than electrical phenomena is confined to 
connecting wires. It is well known that the subtile agent 
of electricity that becomes manifest in the metal connec- 
tions of batteries is developed and sustained by certain 
conditions of matter that must be maintained for its 
effectual development. And so of the subtile agent that 
traverses the nerves of animal life — the nerve current is 
developed and maintained by certain interchanges of 
material substances that hold condensed light in a dormant 
state. But in addition to the development of electricity 
by galvanic batteries, and its manifestation on connections, 
it is also manifest within the battery, and can also be 
developed by friction, and by other modes. And so of nerve 
force, it is manifest in other conditions of matter besides 
nerve matter. The three prominent qualities of nerve 
force are presented in the trinity group of apprehension, 
knowledge and force ; and we can find manifestations of 
this group, and each of its members, in organic matter 
devoid of nerves. In vegetation there is manifest a sort 



80 Identity of Light and Nerve Ft 



orce 



of incipient intelligence termed instinct. We might define 
instincts as tendencies of organic molecules and structures 
from internal forces to carry out the plan of organic life. 
This plan involves both knowledge and power — these 
qualities are grafted on to material substance by means of 
the agent in sunbeams. 

In vegetation and the low forms of organic life, forms 
which have no special organs for transmitting nerve force, 
a sort of incipient intelligence is manifest, but the mode of 
manifestation is different from the mode that obtains in 
animal life. In sprouting seeds we can trace a sort of 
incipient intelligence, directing the root downward, and 
the stem and leaves upward. Additions to this incipient 
intelligence may be traced through all the stages of its 
after life. It selects its food by this engrafted intelligence, 
showing periodical desire and satisfaction when gratified. 
Placed in a dark cellar, the growing stems of potatoes and 
common vegetables grow towards the light, taking the 
shortest, nearest direction to reach it — and it is a well 
ascertained fact that the light thus sought for, by growing 
towards it is actually absorbed. Eoots of vegetation, 
especially those fond of watery soils, will make quite short 
and abrupt turns to reach a springy soil ; this instinctive 
growth of roots, and stems, and leaves, and flowers for 
food, and water, and light is not less certain than the 
instinct of ducks lor water or of a horse for oats, being well 
known and familiar, but the mode in which this instinctive 
intelligence produces its manifestations is different from the 
mode in which intelligence is manifest by the animal. 
Visions of water reach the optic nerve of the duck, and he 
is provided with a muscular apparatus enabling him to 
reach the watery luxury. The vegetable has no optic 
nerve to receive impressions of the distant water, yet that 
it is endowed with a percipient faculty for apprehending 
its presence beyond its roots is certain ; but its mode of 
reaching the objects of its desire is through the slow pro- 
cess of growth with vegetation. 

These vegetable instincts are referred to here not as 
being new or novel, but to fix attention to the important 
fact that instinctive intelligence, instead of being an 
inherent property of carbon or other elements, is grafted 
on to allotropic states of these elements by means of 



In Allolropic Conditions. 81 



condensed sunbeams — for until the material elements have 
absorbed sunbeams they do not manifest instinct or intelli- 
gence ; and it should be noticed in this connection that 
material elements also are not endowed with inherent 
chemical properties or affinities — such affinities only being 
grafted on certain allotropic conditions of the elements, and 
may be displaced and superceded by other affinities and 
properties. By keeping in view the fact that as a medium 
of intelligence, light is not destroyed by impinging on the 
earth or other non -transparent bodies, but is absorbed and 
still exists in an allotropic form, and still capable of trans- 
mitting intelligence of distant objects to organic life, these 
phenomena of roots growing towards distant food, of 
flowers opening to distant light, or of tendrils reaching out 
to grasp supporting stalks become less mysterious. The 
same agent that delineates on the optic nerve of a duck, 
visions of watery luxury, is the same agent that permeates 
•the soil and reveals to the instinctive apprehension of the 
roots of plants the food and watery object of its desire. 
Light diffused through the soil with heat or warmth forms 
an unbroken line, over and through which information 
travels between distant substance and inner desire. Light 
that is absorbed by the earth passes into the latent state 
just as heat of the sun's rays pass into the latent state 
when absorbed in the earth's substance. When this latent 
heat that exists in the soil is rendered free, the freed heat 
becomes a source of warmth to surrounding objects by the 
process of diffusion ; and so of the force of light that lies 
latent in the soil when it is thrown into the active state, 
it still retains its property of transmitting intelligence, and 
becomes a medium to these low instincts, and carries 
information of qualities adapted to their wants, cravings, 
and desires. It is still the messenger of knowledge ; it 
enrolls knowledge on its canvas, and in all cases it is the 
imponderable agent that transmits and holds information, 
and not the material that envelops it that transmits 
knowledge. The substance of nerves enables the agent to 
move in its allotropic state by conduction ; but when thus 
moving through the nerve substance, the messages still 
cling to the messenger — they still adhere to the agent. In 
the broad fact, already noticed, that all imponderable 
agents have five distinct modes of transmission or propa- 



82 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



gation, we perceive that other substance than nerve 
substance transmits or propagates nerve force. In its 
original mode of radiating from the sun, light is propagated 
two hundred thousand miles a second, but in its latent state 
it is motionless. Then in another condition, as propagated 
with warmth through vegetation, it moves less than two 
feet an hour, while in being propagated through animal 
nerves its rate of motion is about one hundred feet a 
second. In vegetable life warmth is distributed by con- 
vection ; it is carried on the circulating fluids, and this is 
the principal mode in which the forces of vegetable life, 
including allotropic light, move. Information and knowl- 
edge of the presence of nutriment is diffused through the 
soil on its messenger, just as warmth is diffused through 
the soil, and reaches the circulating fluids of plants and 
rides the nutriment molecules with the same motion which 
these molecules have in the process of growth, directing 
them towards the objects of desire. Knowledge that would 
be conducted through the nerves of animals quick as 
thought, is only transmitted through the vegetable by 
convection ; that is, it is conveyed on the molecules for 
growth, and moves by and with their motions. 

In conjunction with the qualities of light to enroll 
information, there are properties that embody chemical 
force — rays that embody a power for rearranging the 
elements of material compounds — rays that carry a force 
to produce allotropic changes of the elements — a force that 
will discharge inorganic affinities and substitute organic 
affinities ; a force that, in the vegetable kingdom, deter- 
mines the absorption of carbonic acid in the leaves, and in 
the animal determines its expulsion. This chemical, or 
rearranging force, contained in sunbeams with heat and 
illuminating rays, is non-luminous, and in organic processes 
is an allotropic condition of chemic force. 

These invisible chemic rays of light, that produce such 
a variety of phenomena among material molecules and 
primary elements, have several names ; they are some- 
times termed chemic rays, actinic rays, photoic, rearranging, 
allotropic, &c, &c. By their absorption into material 
substance, they become the executive agents of function, 
and processes of organic structure ; they are the internal 
forces that determines the affinities of primary elements, 



In Allotropic Conditions. 83 



and the instinctive tendencies of organic molecules. Under 
the guide of inherited intelligence the executive rajs 
produce organic forms and instinctive actions. In carrying 
out the phenomena of organic life they are essential 
members of the group of forces ; but it is not to be under- 
stood that the three qualities of the sunbeam, to which 
attention is being drawn, constitute the whole of what is 
known as organic life ; there are other members equally 
important conjoined with nerve force to carry out the sum 
total of vitality, or life. Oxide of hydrogen, after it has 
absorbed heat, becomes adapted to organic processes ; but 
until it has actually absorbed heat sufficient to render it 
fluid, it is a hard crystalline solid, and as useless to organic 
life as paving stones. It is by virtue of its absorbed heat, 
as an imponderable agent contained in its substance, that 
water becomes so essential to organic life. The same fact 
obtains with the allotropic rays; they alter the nature 
of elements by imparting essential qualities — imparting 
organic affinity, and rearranging force. This class of rays 
forms a connecting link between organic and inorganic 
matter. The property of inducing chemic changes, which 
the actinic rays of light exert on plant matter, is well 
ascertained and known as positive facts. The influence of 
these rays is readily traced in altering the allotropic states 
of all the priman^ elements that enter into the structure of 
organic forms and of altering the structure of their com- 
binations. The elements of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, 
nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus are all known in different 
allotropic states conferred by the absorption of light. Then, 
in addition to this first essential influence which the 
invisible rays exert in altering the allotropic states of the 
substance, there is conjoined with the alteration of structure 
an imparted susceptibility to the illuminating rays. There 
is first an absorption of the invisible rays that alter atomic 
structure and retain in the substance these invisible rays, 
then, by virtue of properties imparted to the substance by 
these absorbed rays, the substance responds to the illumi- 
nating rays. The apprehension, or prehension, by plants 
without the assistance of special organs of sense — the 
apprehension of the presence, at a distance, of food and 
drink is well established by common observation. The 
blanched leaves and vines of plants that have grown in 



84 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



the dark possess no visual organs for distinguishing illumi- 
nating from non-illuminating rays, yet potato stalks, 
twigs, grass and all kinds of growing leaves of vegetation, 
will make quite appreciable efforts to reach the illuminating 
rays by bending towards them in the process of growth. 

We can readily observe the plain and positive influence 
which light, as an imponderable agent, exerts on that 
exquisite organ of sense, the eye. The front part of the 
eye is covered and protected by a muscular, colored curtain 
termed the iris ; it is that part of the eyeball that gives to 
different eyes their different colors. This muscular curtain 
has a small central opening termed the pupil, and this 
opening or pupil instinctively enlarges, in a dim light, to 
allow a greater amount of light with its messages to 
penetrate the ball. Then again, the pupil instinctively 
contracts in a bright light to shut off' a portion of the 
light. These instinctive and spontaneous movements of 
the muscular fibres of the iris are brought about by the 
influence of light on the fibres of the curtain, and these 
instinctive adaptations of the pupil are essential to distinct 
vision. A similar movement of organic fibres, in response 
to light, is seen in the opening and closing of flowers by 
light and darkness. The fibres of the eye's curtain open 
for the reception of messages of information carried by one 
quality of light, the fibres of the flowers open for the 
reception of rearranging force carried and embodied in 
another quality of light ; the eye receives sentient messages, 
the germs within the flower receives actual force ; and both 
the enrolled knowledge and embodied force are absorbed 
and retained for future use in the current of animal nerves. 
In plants, substance that is sensitive to light, and substance 
that is unsensitive are united, forming horticultural ele- 
ments. By reason of this combination, sensitive movements 
of plants in response to light is necessarily a movement of 
the joint combination of both sensitive and unsensitive 
parts, resulting in a movement by growth towards food 
and water. In the animal system these sensitive and 
unsensitive parts are separated, forming two or more 
classes of organs, as in the muscles and nerves. In the 
scale of organic life, we first trace functions performed by 
material combinations of a primary character — functions 
which in higher organizations are more intensely mani- 



In Allotropic Conditions. 85 



fested and carried out by distinct organs. In some low 
classes of animal life, physiologists find circulation and 
digestion carried on within the same cavities or organs. 
Instead of there being a heart and stomach there is only 
one organ for the two processes of impulsion and digestion. 
In other classes of animals respiration and digestion take 
place in the same cavity or stomach. 

The two-folcl function of chemic rays, of altering com- 
position, and, at the same time, inducing a rearranging 
change of substance at a distance, may be traced at the 
primary absorption of chemic rays by the leaves of plants ; 
the rays not only alter the composition of the leaves by 
changing their colors, but the rays also impart an impulsive 
throb of vigor to the entire plant. The invisible rays 
exert an influence that reaches from the leaves through the 
entire fibrous structure to the roots ; and what is remark- 
able in this connection is that the influence from each leaf 
follows its own line of fibres as accurately as nerve force 
follows its line of nerves. 

The group of forces found in the connecting wires of 
galvanic batteries are collectively called a galvanic current. 
This group embraces heat, and light, and magnetism, as 
well as electricity — currents from different batteries holding 
different proportions of each of these agents. The subtile 
agent and influences traversing animal nerves called nerve 
force, embraces all the subtile agents contained in a 
sunbeam. The allotropic conditions and changes of these 
subtile agents may be followed and traced in their successive 
changes in a very simple manner, showing analogous 
properties in each condition. If we stand in a perfectly 
dark room containing people and different objects, we see 
nothing in the darkness ; but if we then light a lamp, 
which may be held in the hands, the light immediately 
diffuses through the room and reveals to the eye the people 
and all the different objects in the room. Discarding all 
theories of what light is, and examine only its properties 
by what it accomplishes, we perceive that the light emitted 
from the flame of the lamp has the property of illuminat- 
ing different objects and rendering them visible ; we 
perceive that the light passes to the objects and is then 
reflected back again loaded with information of facts and 
phenomena. The light emitted from the lamp after 



Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



traversing large spaces comes back with information of 
what is to be seen, and reveals these facts to the e}^e. 

This property of traveling through surrounding space 
and gathering information of the panorama of facts is but 
one of well known properties of light ; but this property 
is a marvelous one. A superior being placed in the central 
sun could, by the aid of this property, instantly perceive 
what is taking place on the earth, moon and stars. The 
rotation of the planets brings into view in succession the 
entire surface of each ; by the assistance of the property 
of refraction, diffraction, and reflection, the light emitted 
from the sun returns with information to the central sun, 
substantially as light from the lamp illuminates and reveals 
different objects. This power of carrying information is 
one of its properties familiar in the phenomena of nerves. 
If a fly, or other irritant, injures the foot or hand, informa- 
tion of the fact is sent through the nerves from these parts 
to nerve centres, where it is determined what shall be done 
with the irritating object. Rut this property of enrolling 
information of fact and carrying it through space or through 
the animal system is but one of its marvelous properties. 

In addition to this property light embodies actual force 
— it embodies properties that gives it executive ability ; it 
embodies the property and power of heat ; and it embodies 
the property of rearranging the molecules and combinations 
of material substances ; it embodies a property that has the 
power of changing the character of all known substance ; 
it slowly alters the character of even the hardest glass, as 
well as the delicate bloom on fruit, and of a child's cheek. 
This property is sometimes known as chemic affinity, 
sometimes as actinism, and sometimes as the rearranging 
force of sunlight. In some cases it induces chemical com- 
bination ; in others it induces decomposition ; in others it 
induces allotropic changes of material elements. These 
several phenomena of chemic affinity^ actinism, organic 
and inorganic interchanges, are substantially allotropic 
changes, founded on the property of light to produce allo- 
tropic changes of rearrangement. If we invert a glass vase 
over a common looking-glass on a table before a window, 
arranged so that a beam of light from the sun shall impinge 
on the vase, we perceive that the glass of the vase does not 
stop the beam of light, but it passes through the glass of 



in Allotropic Conditions. 87 



the vase and impinges on the mirror and through the glass 
of the mirror, and on reaching the metalic back of the 
mirror its course is altered, and it is reflected in other 
directions, returning through the mirror and vase glass. If 
now we hold an apple, a bunch of grapes, a picture or stand 
before the glass, the light that illuminates these, or other 
objects, gathers information of their several qualities and 
carries "the information through the glasses to the metal 
back of the mirror, when both the light and its information 
is reflected out through the vase precisely as the light of 
the sunbeam was reflected out. Both the light and its 
enrolled pictures p-ass readily through the glass to the eye. 
This property of light to enroll and carry information is 
well known, and is associated with the power of heat and 
actinism. 

If we substitute for the mirror a glass vessel containing 
ice, we can trace the fact that the sunbeam not only enrolls 
information, but that it also embodies heat as an actual 
force. Letting the sunbeam through the window and 
impinge, as before, on the vase, it passes through the glasses 
to the ice. The beam, on meeting the ice, parts with heat, 
a certain amount of which is absorbed — the absorbed heat 
converting the ice into water ; and it is well to notice here 
that a quart of ice will absorb a certain amount of heat, 
but that two quarts will absorb twice as much. Now it is 
a well known fact that the heat that was absorbed by the 
ice exists and actually is retained in the melted ice water ; 
yet a finger placed in the water will find it just as cold as 
the ice, and a delicate thermometer will not detect the 
slightest difference in temperature between the ice and ice 
water. That the heat actually exists as an actual force in 
the water is well known and is easily proved ; for if we 
surround the ice water, or place a vessel above and another 
below, containing ice and salt or other substance colder 
than ice water, the heat that was absorbed and retained by 
the water will be expelled and radiated into surrounding 
space,- where it can be concentrated by concave mirrors 
and made to explode powder, melt metals, or run steam 
engines. 

This absorption of heat has been adverted to several 
times for the simple reason that what happens to this 
member of the sunbeam is just what happens also to each 



88 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



of the other members of the group — they are each and all 
absorbed and retained in the dormant inactive state by 
vegetation, to reappear as nerve force. If we substitute for 
the bottle of ice under the vase, a bottle containing a 
mixture of chlorine and hydrogen gases that have been 
kept in the dark, and let the sunbeam impinge on the 
mixture, chemical force is absorbed by the mixture anu the 
two gases combine, and form a single compound — chloride 
of hydrogen — a compound that will absorb a further amount 
of chemical force substantially as ice water absorbs and 
retains heat. A still better compound for absorbing chem- 
ical force from the sunbeam, than chloride of hydrogen, is 
chloride of silver. This compound, by its absorption of 
chemic force becomes changed from a white color to a 
reddish brown, enabling the eye to follow its absortion. 

The character of chemical or actinic force absorbed by 
chloride of silver and similar compounds has been noticed 
in discussing muscular force, and is here omitted ; but its 
property of effecting decomposition is readily seen by sub- 
stituting nitrate of silver, in solution, for the bottle of 
chloride ; when the sunbeam impinges on this solution the 
silver salt is decomposed, and metallic silver precipitated. 
The double nature of actinic rays of light may readily be 
seen by moistening a clean slip of ivory with a solution of 
nitrate of silver and exposing it to the sunbeam. Chemic 
force is absorbed and the ivory blackens after a few hours 
exposure to the light, but on rubbing the blackened surface, 
a coating of pure silver will be found deposited on the 
ivory. 

The relation of light to nerve force, however, can be 
traced in a more direct line through vegetation than through 
inorganic matter. If we place a plant under the vase, 
letting the light impinge on its leaves and flowers, each of 
these members of its group are absorbed and produce 
visible effects ; the struggle of blanched stems and vines to 
reach the luminous part of the ray, the opening of flowers, 
and the absorption of the entire beam in seeds, are familiar 
facts. The force of actual heat, and the rearranging force 
of organic affinity, thus absorbed by vegetation, are retained 
in the horticultural elements, are carried in the material 
substance into the animal as food, and reappear in the 
group of forces that traverse the nerves of animal life. 



In Allotropic Conditions. 89 



The absorption of heat by vegetation and its reappearance 
in the various processes and functions of animal life is a 
fact somewhat more familiar to students than the absorption 
and reappearance of the luminous and rearranging members 
of the sunbeam's group, but is no more certain as a positive 
fact. The dormant, inactive state of heat in vegetation, 
enabling it to be carried into the animal, is an allotropic 
condition of inaction which each of the other members 
assume in the processes of organic life, that have been 
partially noticed, and will be noticed more fully in another 
place. The fact to which attention is here drawn is that 
these several agents in becoming absorbed in vegetation 
simply pass into an allotropic condition of inaction, and are 
not transmuted into potential, nor any other energy. 

By drying, or depriving the vegetable matter of water, 
the absorbed heat, and the absorbed light, and the absorbed 
allotropic altering rays may be readily developed or set free 
by combustion. The absorbed altering force becomes 
manifest at proper temperatures by inducing combination 
with oxygen — the combination developing heat, which 
becomes manifest by expanding the gases formed by com- 
bustion, and the light becomes manifest by illuminating 
surrounding objects. This mode of developing the absorbed 
agents, however, is abrupt and simply shows that the 
agents have been absorbed and stored in the vegetable 
substance. In the processes of animal life these abrupt 
chemical changes do not occur ; their development in the 
animal body is more analogous to the development of light 
and heat and chemical force within galvanic batteries, in 
which the developed forces become grouped in the form of 
and are propagated as current instead of being propagated 
by radiation. 

We can trace, in succession, the five allotropic states ot 
heat, and by so doing can form a more concise view of the 
five allotropic states or conditions of light. If we suspend 
a metal kettle, filled with water and floating ice, over a fire 
we can observe that heat radiates from the burning coal, 
impinging against the bottom of the kettle. The velocity 
of the radiating heat is very great until it impinges on the 
metal ; its motion is then checked and retarded, but not 
stopped ; the impinging heat, instead of radiating through 
the metal passes through by the second mode — that is, 



90 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



by conduction ; it moves or is propagated from atom to 
atom along the substance of the metal. In the first or 
radiant mode, the heat moved without the assistance of 
material substance ; in this mode it will pass ■ through a 
vacuum; but in the second mode it is conducted by the 
substance of the kettle to the water within the kettle, where 
it again changes its mode of motion. Impinging on the 
water, it finds an almost non-conductor and takes on a new 
condition or mode of propagation ; it gathers on the mole- 
cules of the fluid and is propagated by the mode known as 
convection ; it is neither radiated nor . conducted, but both 
the molecules of water and the agent of heat rise up 
through the sui rounding fluid in union. When this com- 
bination of heat and the molecules of water impinge on the 
floating ice within the kettle, the heat takes on another 
mode or condition. The molecules of rising water part 
with the heat which they were conveying to the ice in 
which they become latent. The heat thus rendered latent 
by absorption converts the solid into a liquid, and as long 
as the molecules remain liquid the absorbed heat will remain 
dormant and without apparant energy ; on crystallizing 
the molecules of water, holding the absorbed and latent 
heat, it is expelled and is again changeable to each of its 
five modes without the slightest loss of energy ; but there 
is no known mode of changing it into light or any other 
kind of energy ; it can neither be blotted out of existence nor 
transmuted into life, electricity, or any other imponderable 
agent. 

There is another state or condition of heat, which is here 
omitted, but each are allotropic conditions, as each are 
convertible into the other conditions. Each of the other 
members of the sunbeam have five analogous states, or 
conditions. The illuminating rays and the rearranging rays 
may be traced in the radiant condition, then as being con- 
ducted, then as being conveyed by convection, then as in 
the dormant or latent state, and in the 'processes of organic 
life each mode becomes available, and each is used to alter the 
properties of, and to control material substance. Instead of 
taking the radiant heat from a burning fire to impinge on 
the kettle of ice water, we may let the sun's rays impinge 
on the kettle, the impinging heat passing in succession 
through these several modes. Instead of following the heat 



In Allotropic Conditions. 91 



rays we may follow the illuminating rays through these 
allotropic changes. The heat rays, on impinging on the 
metal, becomes absorbed and temporarily retained — absorbed 
and then emitted. A_ similar fact may be observed of 
absorption and emission of light from loaf sugar, diamonds, 
different kinds of spar, and even the waters of the ocean. 

The fifth mode or state in which imponderable agents 
exist may be termed the phosphorescent state or condition. 
When light impinges on sugar, diamonds, spars, &c, it is 
absorbed, and in being emitted it passes into this phospho- 
rescent mode. Heat may also be traced as passing into this 
mode, but this mode is more famib'ar in its relation to 
illuminating light. 

In tracing the several modes in which the agent that 
traverses animal nerves exists this phosphorescent mode 
becomes important. Illuminating rays are absorbed by 
sugar, diamonds, and other bodies substantially as heat, 
impinging on a metal pail, is absorbed in heating and being 
conducted through the metal — the rays of heat heat the 
metal; and so of the light rays absorbed, they illuminate 
the absorbing substance. The evolution, or emission of the 
absorbed light from the sugar may be observed by placing 
the sugar, after it has absorbed the light, in a dark room, 
when the light will be slowly emitted. This slow emission 
of light resembles the slow emission of heat from a heated 
metal. 

Light absorbed by the waters of the ocean is also slowly 
emitted at times. This is noticeable when the water is 
disturbed by ships or the paddle wheels of steamers. The 
crests of waves show a gleamy white phosphorescent light 
that illuminates the disturbed water ; and disturbed in this 
way from its dormant state in ocean water, it has the 
appearance of being roused from its sleep with reluctance, 
and, instead of dashing off in the radiant mode soon sinks 
back into the water with a sleeply stupor. A still better 
illustration of light in the dormant state may be seen by 
standing before a looking-glass in a dark, cold room, and 
crushing rock crystal candy between the teeth ; during the 
crushing process the mouth will be filled with a reddish 
colored light, sometimes glowing so fiercely as to give the 
mouth the appearance of being on fire. Similar changes 



92 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



of allotropic states of light from the latent to the phospho- 
rescent state may be seen by saturating hot water with 
Glauber's salt and setting it aside to cool ; the salt will 
remain dissolved until it is distrubed, but on dropping into 
the solution a few grains of sand, the salt will suddenly 
crystallize and evolve light during the crystallizing pro- 
cess — an effect that is entirely analogous to the evolution 
of heat by the crystallization of water and conversion into 
ice — the crystallizing process evolving the latent heat from 
the water. A similar evolution of absorbed latent light 
from frozen salt may be seen by striking the salt with a 
hammer in a dark, cold room ; flashes of light appear at 
each blow. A similar fact occurs in chopping green, trozen 
wood in very cold weather, the axe seeming to strike 
phosphorescent fire from the wood. In these and similar 
examples it will be noticed that light is found to exist, 
radiating from the sun ; then as absorbed and latent in sugar, 
ocean water, diamonds, spars, &c, then as phosphorescent 
light surrounding bodies, analogous to the sun's photosphere ; 
and in the process of being emitted from phosphorescent 
bodies we perceive that light moves analogous to the emis- 
sion of heat from metals — a mode termed conduction. A 
better example of both heat and light moving by conduction, 
is presented by an electric current, as the current embodies 
and carries both of these agents. The fifth mode in which 
light exists, that of convection, will be noticed in another 
place. 

These examples show clearly that light, in its components 
of illuminating rays and heating rays, exists in five distinct 
conditions and similar facts may be traced by following the 
rearranging rays. The trinity group are radiated, conducted, 
become latent and phosphorescent, both as a group and singly. 
The rearranging rays of the sun's beam are the rays that 
cause the skin to darken, fruit to ripen, leaves to color, and 
colors to fade ; this entire group of rays and the material 
substance that enters into the structures of organic life are 
mutual counterparts. The agents of the sun's group retain, 
under all circumstances, and in all conditions, the properties 
of gathering information, enrolling knowledge and embody- 
ing actual force, so that when absorbed into material 
substance, this group of agents imparts to the substance, by 
their presence, intelligent tendencies and executive force. 



In Allotropic Conditions. 93 



The influence and remarkable change which heat 
imparts to oxide of hydrogen when absorbed and remaining 
latent, rendering an otherwise worthless substance one of 
the most useful and important of compounds to organic 
life has already been adverted to, and as we turn to the air 
we breathe and examine this essential substance we shall 
find still more prominent and startling phenomena of vital 
processes due to the absorption and influence of another 
member of the sun's rays — the absorption of rearranging 
force in atmospheric oxygen. 

The doctrine that the primary elements of matter are 
absolutely endowed with certain inherent and persistent 
properties has been so persistently taught, asserted, and 
reasserted so often as to have induced almost universal 
belief. This doctrine of inherent properties has led to the 
fallacious hypothesis that the phenomena of both the 
organic and inorganic world are spontaneous results of 
inherent material properties. For one hundred years 
or more since the chemist, Lavoiser, suggested that the 
lungs of an animal consumed oxygen like a furnace, the 
vital processes of human life have been regarded as 
chemical processes. There have been imaginary combustions 
of carbonaceous matter in all parts of the human system, 
and a chemical solution of nutriment in the stomach, like 
the conversion of ores into salts by acids in chemical 
factories. Yet the facts which have now accumulated 
respecting the allotropic states of matter and the allotropic 
states of force, enables us to assert, without the slightest 
conflict with any established fact, that the ultimate 
fibres and structures of life are not composed of a single 
chemical compound, nor constructed by a single chemical 
process. These broad statements, or assertions, conflict 
with cart loads of theoretical explanations of vital processes 
by chemical theories, but not with one solitary and positive 
established fact. 

Substance of chemical construction found within organic 
structures is confined entirely to channels of distribution 
and finally eliminated, instead of being built into living 
forms of life. There is probably no one substance that has 
contributed so much to establish these fallacious chemical 
theories of organic structure and organic processes as the 
material element of oxygen ; no substance that has been 



94 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



so loaded down with imaginary functions and capacities — 
it is the sheet anchor of materialism, and the corner-stone 
of imaginarjr material powers and capacities. 

Oxygen forms one-fifth of the atmosphere, one-ninth of 
water, and about one-sixth of the known earth, existing 
in the three states of solid, fluid and gaseous matter. It 
exists in five allotropic conditions, the two best known 
being ozone and oxygen, as it exists in the atmosphere we 
breathe. As ozone, oxygen is highly charged with chemical 
affinity, while as combined with nitrogen of the atmosphere 
it is totally devoid of chemical affinity; and it might be 
here stated that the allotropic conditions of the material 
elements are founded on their relation and combinations 
with imponderable agents. The agents of heat, ol affinity, 
of electricity, of magnetism, may each or either exist in 
material substance, and may each and either become 
superceded and displaced by one or more of the other 
agents, such a supercedence and displacement constituting 
an allotropic change — a change that may be more of or 
less permanent. In the red variety of phosphorus already 
referred to, chemical affinity is largely displaced, while the 
fluid variety has absorbed a surplus amount of heat. 
Oxygen, in the condition of ozone, is highly charged with 
chemical affinity, and if a strip of silver foil, or a silver 
coin be placed in a bottle of oxygen in this condition, it is 
quickly oxidized and converted into dross, while it might 
remain in atmospheric oxygen forever without oxidation 
or becoming the least tarnished. 

Atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen do not -show the 
slightest tendency for chemical union ; their union by 
chemical affinity would develop heat and form nitric acid 
or nitric oxides. 

Each of the other imponderable agents have their own 
special work, and have their own modes of development, 
each never interfering with the modes of development or 
with the duties of the other. Chemical affinity unites 
material elements and forms them into solid crystalline 
combinations in definite proportions by weight ; but in the 
ultimate parts of organic structures these definite chemical 
compounds are never found — the so-called phosphates of 
lime, of which bones are said to be composed, are formed 
by the processes that find them. Bones are in constant 



In Allotropie Conditions. 95 



process of change from the embryo to the grave ; in early 
life they are gelatinous and flexible, the outer parts com- 
paratively hard, the inner tender, the whole gradually 
growing hard, brittle and of different composition through 
all the periods of life — a feature that never obtains with 
chemical compounds. 

Organic compounds, united by organic affinity, are 
non-crystalline in structure, not solid but porous. This 
porous condition of combinations for organic structures 
enables the interchanging processes of life to proceed 
continuously. 

The rocks and solids of the earth are joined by chemical 
affinity, the gaseous envelop by organic affinity, while 
water is an example in which both organic and inorganic, 
or chemical affinity is represented. Its elements of oxygen 
and hydrogen are joined by inorganic affinity, and previ- 
ous to its absorption of heat is crystalline ; after absorbing 
heat it also absorbs and retains organic affinity by which 
it forms solutions and absorbs gases. 

Carbon and each and all of the material elements that 
enter into the construction of living structures are as devoid 
of chemical affinity as gold is of magnetism. The absence 
of chemical affinity may be traced in other forms of carbon 
and carbonaceous matter besides structures of life. Tons 
of diamonds might be placed in furnaces, yet they would be 
found so totally free from chemical affinity that they would 
not burn. Even black lead is so free from this affinity that 
it requires a white heat to throw it into a condition to 
absorb sufficient chemical affinity to induce combination 
with oxygen. Phosphorous, which in one condition melts 
and takes fire in in warm hands, in another allotropie con- 
dition has been exposed to a concentrated heat sufficient to 
melt cast iron in a few seconds, yet failed to even melt. 
The allotropie states of the material elements, and the allo- 
tropie states of the forces that enters into the construction 
of organic life will be discussed again in their relation to 
chemical force. Sufficient has probably been already said 
to fix the fact within the mind of the reader that imponder- 
able agents, as forces in sunbeams, can and do exist inde- 
pendent of material substratum, then become absorbed by 
the substance of matter, imparting to matter allotropie 
changes, and sustaining allotropie changes themselves by 



96 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 

which both forces and substance becomes adapted to organic 
life. 

Origin, Uses and Destiny of Nerve Force. 

It is an established, and an unquestioned fact, that the 
food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe, 
undergo certain interchanging rearrangements of their 
substance within the animal body, and that from these re- 
arranging processes the vital forces of the organism emerge 
and become manifest. The view herein presented asserts 
that these vital forces, including the force that traverses the 
animal nerves, were actually absorbed from sunbeams by 
the substance of food, drink and air, and are retained by 
these substances in a dormant state ; and that the presence 
of these agents, retained within the substance of food, drink, 
and air, imparts to their substance the actual properties 
that adapt them to animal life ; that during the molecular 
interchangements of the substance of food, drink and air, 
these forces and agents are developed from their dormant 
states, and produce their several manifestations of functions 
and processes ; that within the lungs, heart, stomach, and 
each of what are termed vital organs, the sunbeams group 
of forces becomes released and reappears as nerve force, 
substantially as electricity becomes released in battery inter- 
changes. 

From what has now been said of nerve force we can 
trace in a more connected manner the origin, uses and 
destiny of this queen of imponderables. Discarding for 
the present all conditions or manifestations of the force, 
except those presented by animal nerves, and reverting 
only to those conditions and processes that develop actual 
nerve phenomena, we find it primarily dependent on the 
absorption of oxygen from the atmosphere by the animal 
system — air breathing animals all being provided with 
nerves and manifesting nerve force. 

The atmosphere, as already noticed, is a combination of 
oxygen and nitrogen, united by an affinity that belongs to 
organic matter, and to the organic world — an affinity that 
is as distinct and different from the affinity that unites the 
substances of water, and stones, and earth, and inorganic 
matter, as the two kinds of electric attractions — voltaic 



In Allolropic Conditions. 97 



and surface — dynamic and static are different. On reaching 
the lungs this organic combination of the two gases becomes 
decomposed, oxygen being separated from its gaseous mate 
and uniting with the blood — blood offering a stronger 
attraction for this element than is offered by nitrogen. In 
this transfer of oxygen from one compound to another 
there is a process that is very analogous to a transfer of 
oxygen from one compound to another in voltaic batteries 
that produces, or develops, a voltaic current, with this 
important difference : the combination that becomes decom- 
posed in a voltaic battery, to produce a voltaic current, is 
a chemical combination — a compound of elements that are 
held by chemical affinity — while the combination that is 
decomposed in the lungs is a compound of elements that 
are held and united by organic affinity. In the battery, 
water and acids are decomposed. These combination of 
elements are chemical compounds, joined by laws of definite 
proportion ; while the atmosphere is a combination that is 
not a chemical combination, and is not held by chemical 
law. In the first union of oxygen with the blood it does 
not unite by chemical affinity, or force, but by the same 
kind of affinity which joined it with nitrogen — an affinity 
that forms solutions, as when water takes up oxygen or 
other gases, or when it forms solutions, as of salt, sugar or 
milk. This distinction between the two kinds of affinity 
is essential ; for what is insisted on here, is, that the nerve 
current sustains the same relation to organic combinations, 
and organic interchanges, that the voltaic current does to 
chemical compounds and chemical interchanges ; that the 
subtile nerve current is developed the instant that oxygen 
separates from nitrogen and unites with blood, in the same 
sense that the subtile electric current is developed the 
instant that oxygen separates from water and unites with 
zinc, in a common battery. 

In the lungs there is a vast network of nerves, distri- 
buted over their entire surface, that receive the subtle 
agent as fast as developed, and distributes it to other points 
with which they connect. The network within the lungs 
serves to collect the agent, just as a network of metal 
wires might serve to collect an electric current and distri- 
bute it to other points. In other words, it is understood 
that zinc, within a galvanic battery solution, offers a greater 



§8 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



inorganic affinity for the combined oxygen of water than 
this element has for its hydrogen ; and this stronger affinity 
leads to the formation of oxide of zinc, the transfer of 
oxygen developing the electric force and current ;and so in 
the development of the nerve force, and current, the organ- 
ized blood offers a stronger organic affinity for atmospheric 
oxygen than nitrogen has for this element ; the change 
from nitrogen to animal blood develops the nerve force 
and nerve current. This interchange of substance, for the 
development of the messenger that traverses the nerves of 
animal life, is but one of a vast series of interchanges of 
elements, held by organic affinity, that produces, or develops 
nerve force. The same principle obtains in the develop- 
ment of nerve currents, that obtains in the development of 
voltaic currents — that is, an almost endless variety of dif- 
ferent substances may be substituted, one for the other, but 
all involving the same general principle of interchange of 
substance presented by the transfer of oxygen from water 
to form oxide of zinc. There is the decomposition of one 
compound to compose another similar compound, the one 
noticed being from oxide of hydrogen to oxide of zinc, to 
develop electricity in the battery, and from atmospheric 
oxygen to animal blood, to develop the nerve force, each 
of these forces exist in dormant states in their respective 
compounds, and are developed from the inactive, to the 
active state. 

In a Smee, or common battery, in addition to the 
separation of oxygen from water, there also occurs separa- 
tion of oxygen from sulphur, of the sulphuric acid, to unite 
with the zinc ; also, separation of sulphuric acid from oxide 
of hydrogen to unite with oxide of zinc, each of these 
transfers, and interchanges, assisting to develop the electric 
force. And so of the successive processes, which food un- 
dergoes, in each of the several stages of digestion. There 
is a separation — a detaching of a part of the substance of 
the food, and a re-combination of the detached part with 
some part of the organism. In the battery there is a 
decomposition, and a separation of an element, or chemical 
combination, as of oxygen or sulphuric acid from water ; 
and its combination anew with another substance ; and the 
character of the substance decomposed is reproduced in the 
compound formed; it is substance held and united by 



In Alhtropic Conditions. 



chemical force that is decomposed, and it is substance held 
and united by chemical force that is again formed — chemi- 
cal substance decomposed, and chemical substance again 
composed— while in the animal system, that which is de- 
composed and detached from combination is substance 
held by organic affinity, and in a different allotropic state 
from battery fluids. 

It is oxygen, held with nitrogen by the force of organic 
affinity, that is breathed by land animals, and it is oxygen, 
dissolved and absorbed, and held by the same organic 
affinity in water, that is breathed by water animals; and 
it is only oxygen that is conjoined by this affinity, that 
becomes detached and separated for new unions within the 
animal system. It is an essential fact that the combina- 
tions of oxygen, held by this kind of affinity, are the only 
ones that are adapted to the process of breathing, or from 
which oxygen can be separated and detached for animal 
use. It is not simply that oxygen of the atmosphere exists 
as a gas, that adapts it to the process of breathing — for it 
is breathed by water animals, as dissolved in water, and in 
a state in which it cannot be said to exist as a gas, while 
ozone does exist as oxygen gas, but in a state or condition 
that is fatal to animal life when breathed. In the state of 
ozone, oxygen is charged with chemical affinity, in the 
same sense that steel can be charged with magnetism ; 
while atmospheric oxygen is charged by the sun's rays with 
organic affinity, and it is this organic affinity, with its 
fellow members of the sunbeam, that is transferred and 
developed, to exist as nerve force. Neither the lungs, nor 
any other animal organ has the power, or exercises the 
function, of separating oxygen from oxide of hydrogen, or 
any other chemical combination of oxygen for animal use ; 
it is a substance essential to life, but it is essential that it 
shall be charged with organic affinity. Water is a chemical 
combination, but it is totally devoid of free chemical 
affinity, being entirely neutral and also charged with both 
absolute heat and organic affinity — its organic affinity 
being the affinity that enables it to dissolve oxygen and 
form other solutions. 

Ozone is oxygen gas charged with chemical affinity ; 
atmospheric oxygen is oxygen gas charged with organic 
affinity — these being allotropic conditions and states of the 



100 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



same material substance — ozone being adapted to the 
inorganic world, atmospheric oxygen being adapted to the 
organic world — the combinations, decomposition, and com- 
bination of ozone compounds developing electric currents, 
the decomposition and combination of atmospheric, organic 
or oxygen compounds developing the nerve force. 

It is also an essential and positive fact that when 
oxygen is absorbed and dissolved in the blood, it shall be 
united by the same organic affinity that dissolves it in 
water for animal use ; essential that it shall not join the 
circulating fluid and form chemical compounds, but be 
carried along as an organic partner. 

It will thus be seen that the origin of the two forces 
(nerve force and electric force) are somewhat analogous in 
general principle of development, but distinct in the fact 
of being developed from different allotropic states of mat- 
ter, and. by interchanges of compounds, held by different 
classes of affinity. Then as it is a positive fact that the 
allotropic states of matter are clue to the fact that the 
substance has actually absorbed and retained different 
imponderable agents, we can readily understand why sub- 
stance, as oxygen, in one allotropic state, shall hold for 
development electric force, and when in another allotropic 
state shall hold for development nerve force. 

The interchange of oxygen from one substance to 
p another within the lungs, for the development of nerve 
force, is but one of a vast series of interchanges of sub- 
stance, held by the same class of affinity, that takes place 
for its further development in other organs and parts of the 
animal system. We catch a partial glimpse of the general 
principle, as we pass in review, first the action of atmos- 
pheric oxygen and its interchange for developing nerve 
force in land animals and then compare it with the process, 
as it takes place in the gills of water animals. Oxygen 
held in water, and that becomes separated by the gills of 
fish, is no more perceptible than the affinity that holds it 
dissolved in the water ; yet the element and the rearranging 
fome, which the element holds, are both transferred from 
the current of water, and both contribute a share in the 
vital process. 

It is not only the fact that it is oxygen that is held in 
the water for transfer for the animal's use, but it is this 



In Allofropie Conditions. 101 



fact, in conjunction with the other fact, that it holds con- 
densed sunlight within its actual substance, and that these 
condensed sunbeams determines the character of the force 
developed. 

Similar transfers of substance, holding condensed sun- 
beams in their substance, takes place in the processes of 
digestion, and in those of assimilation. The processes of 
separating oxygen from water by the gills of fish, is a pro 
cess that separates an invisible substance and an invisible 
force from the fluid water; and in the process of digestion 
a similar fact occurs of the invisible force of condensed 
sunbeams, separating in the process of transfer, and is taken 
up by the nerves of the organ as nerve force. 

If, instead of following out in detail the development 
of nerve force in the organs and processes of digestion, we 
first turn to some of the uses of nerve force in the 
phenomena of animal life, we shall find other analogies 
between the uses of an electric current and nerve force, 
and also the continuation of the principle of allotropic 
differences. In the simplest of batteries, as of a Smee, 
there is not only a separation of oxygen from water and 
its combination with zinc, but there is also a detaching 
and discharge of hydrogen from the platina plate. This 
discharge of hydrogen, and the combination of oxygen, 
are simultaneous facts in the development of the electric 
current; and we find a corresponding fact within the lungs; 
there is a detaching and discharge of carbonic acid gas 
from the lungs and blood, as oxygen is absorbed. Hydrogen 
gas is only eliminated when the plates are electrically 
conjoined, the discharge being determined by the same 
facts that determine the current. The same principle also 
obtains in the elimination of carbonic acid gas from the 
blood ; that is, the gas is eliminated by the nerve current. 

The celebrated French physiologist, Bichat, divided the 
study of the nervous system into two classes, nerves of 
animal life, and nerves of organic life. The nerves of 
organic life lead from the vital organs, lungs, heart, liver, 
stomach, &c, to a large nerve extending from the base of 
the brain, consisting of two cords, and running the entire 
length of the back bone, termed the great sympathetic 
nerve. These cords are as large as a pipe stem, of a 
greyish red color, and lie close to the vertabr^e, one on the 



102 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



left, the other on the right side. This sympathetic nerve 
can be best understood by regarding it as a nerve sivitch 
arrangement for collecting and distributing the nerve force, 
in the same sense that an electrical switch serves to collect 
and distribute electricity from many batteries, and dis- 
tribute or send it to different points for use. 

As already noticed, the transfer of atmospheric oxygen 
from its associated nitrogen, and its absorption by the 
blood, determines the development of nerve force. This, 
however, is to be understood as but a degree, or part of the 
sum total that is developed, or produced, for carrying out 
the processes and functions of organic life. But what is 
produced within the lungs is produced in the same sense 
as electricity is produced within a Smee battery by the 
transfer of oxygen from hydrogen of the acid solution of 
zinc. The nerve force developed within the lungs, is carried 
by a nerve line that connects with the sympathetic nerve, 
substantially as we may suppose an electric current may 
be carried along a metal wire to an electric switch. At 
the point where the nerve from the lungs, or other vital 
organ, connects with the switch, the cords are enlarged, 
and the enlargements are termed ganglia. Each of the 
switch cords, at the gangliatic enlargements, receive nerves 
from two or more organs that, like the lungs, serve to 
develop nerve force. From the base of the brain to the 
lower end of the back bone, there are twenty-nine enlarge- 
ments of each of the switch cords, and each enlargement 
may be understood as receiving and distributing a distinct 
degree and grade of nerve force. In other words, if we 
consider the force developed within the lungs as corre- 
sponding with a Smee, or one kind of battery, the heart 
and blood vessels, stomach, liver, kidneys and other vital 
organs would correspond with other classes of batteries, 
and the vital group of organs, would consist of twenty- 
nine batteries of nerve force, each of these twenty-nine 
batteries sending two or more lines of nerves to the main 
switch. 

When several electrical batteries are grouped and con- 
nected together, the force eliminated from the combination 
acquires a character known to electricians as intensity, and 
the intense force becomes competent to produce effects that 
a single battery is incompetent to produce. Two or more 



In Altotropic Conditions. 103 



batteries combined will decompose compounds that a single 
battery is incompetent to decompose. The combination of 
different numbers of batteries enables us to grade chemical 
force and detach, for example, either peroxides, protoxides, 
suboxides, or metals from their chemical combinations. A 
similar fact obtains with nerve force in the animal system, 
it is graded so as, for example, to eliminate from the lungs 
carbonic acid gas, from the kidneys and bladder, water and 
uric acid salts, while from the stomach and digestive canal, 
refuse is eliminated to pass from the rectum. Each of the 
vital organs of the human system that serves as a battery to 
develop verve force is not only provided with nerves to 
receive and carry the nerve force to the main switch, but 
each organ receives a nerve line from the switch that brings 
a graded degree of nerve force for use. The line of nerves 
that return from the switch to the lungs carries just that 
degree of nerve force competent to discharge or disengage 
carbonic acid gas. 

By this view of the nerves of organic life, each battery 
of nerve force is provided with two syste?ns of nerves ) one 
system gathering the force which the organ produces, the 
other producing a certain result of molecular structure. 
One system gathers the force, the other uses the force in 
arranging the anatomical elements in the living structure. 
The ganglia that receives the nerves from the lungs, also 
receives nerves from the heart and stomach, which meet in 
the switch over the vertabrae or in the neck. The stomach 
also sends nerves to ganglia, meeting nerves in the switch 
opposite the waist from other organs. Similar arrange- 
ments and combinations of nerves from different organs, 
and their connections at different parts of the switch, is true 
of all of the ganglia, and is evidently an automatic arrange- 
ment for using the nerve force for carrying out the plan of 
the organism. It is somewhat analogous to selecting a few 
from a group of galvanic batteries and using the electric 
force from the few for special purposes. Two or more 
combinations of galvanic batteries imparts to the current 
what is known to electricians, as intensity; and from a 
chemical point of view, different degrees of intensity corre- 
spond with modifications of inorganic affinity. And so from 
an organic point of view, these combinations of nerves im 
ganglia determine grades and modifications of organic 



104 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



affinity ; for the nerves that lead from the different gangliatic 
centres, effect different molecular changes at their different 
points in the organism. 

It is also understood by phj^siologists that organs which 
send nerves to any particular point of the sympathetic 
nerve, have closer relations of sympathy with each of these 
organs than they have with other organs that connect in 
ganglia at other parts of the nerve. The part of the 
sympathetic nerve that receives a bundle of nerves is 
regarded as a nerve center, in the same sense that the brain 
is regarded as a nerve center ; and the force that reached 
one of these nerve centers, on the switch cord, is distri- 
buted, or dispatched, from this center without going to 
the brain for orders. The successive changes which food 
undergoes, first in the stomach, then entering the circula- 
tion and going to the heart, then impelled to the lungs, 
brings these three organs into very close sympathy in 
development and use of the force developed. Then again 
the stomach by its gastric fluid, the liver by its bile, the 
pancreas and spleen by their respective contributions 
toward digestion, are in close sympathy, and their nerves 
are also grouped in ganglia on the switch. 

In other words, the force developed in different organs 
that is distributed by nerves that are collected in groups in 
the sympathetic nerve cords, consists of twenty-nine modi- 
fications of organic affinity ; and these twenty -nine modifi- 
cations are automatically developed from condensed sun- 
beams, automatically received by the sympathetic switch cords, 
and automatically distributed to produce the phenomena of 
growth. Each of the vital organs contributes a degree of 
nerve force to some part of this automatic switch, and 
each organ receives in return a degree of force that assists 
to purify the material substance that is being built into the 
structure. One class of this system of nerves serves to col- 
lect the force, the other class serves to use the force in 
reconstructing the organic molecules and anatomical ele- 
ments, and building them into the various parts of the liv- 
ing structure. 

Each of these phenomena of purification, and of organ- 
izing the purified molecules into living forms, are known 



In Allolropic Conditions. 105 



to be largely dependent on the forces that traverse the 
nerves; for if the nerve that regulates these effects be 
severed the performance of the function ceases. 

The substance of food consists of parts that are to be 
built into the living structure, and also of parts that are to 
be eliminated as worthless refuse. The parts that are 
eliminated have assisted the other parts to hold the several 
forces in dormant states of inaction ; and from the parts 
eliminated as refuse, allotropic states of forces, imparted to 
them by the sun's rays, become changed to the active 
conditions, and these agents are taken up by the nerves as 
nerve force. Refuse from the bladder, alimentary canal, 
and lungs have lost their absorbed sunbeams, and the lost 
agents are transferred to the nerves — transferred in the same 
sense that electricity, transferred by battery interchanges, 
becomes transferred to battery plates to traverse connecting 
wires. 

The production of nerve force and its use are so mutu- 
ally related that it is impossible to study the origin without 
at the same time studying the use made of the force by the 
living processes and structure. In this respect nerve force 
is like voltaic force, the study of the various uses of the 
force assist in explaining its modes of production. In 
tracing the origin of a part of the force produced in the 
human system, to interchanging processes that take place 
in the lungs, we find a close analogy, in principle, with the 
origin, and one mode of producing electric force ; and in 
tracing the uses of nerve force within the animal system, 
we shall find other close analogies with the uses of electric 
force. But in all their analogies of development, and in all 
their analogies of use, there is, and remains, the funda- 
mental allotropic difference of organic and inorganic, living 
and dead. The interchanges in the organic that develop 
nerve force are wholly and entirely non-chemical inter- 
changes ; the interchanges in the inorganic that develop 
voltaic force are wholly and entirely chemical interchanges. 
Within the voltaic batteries, and within the galvanizing 
troughs to which the currents are directed, what occurs is 
decomposition of compounds into their elements, and the 
formation of similar new compounds from these elements ; 
what occurs within the living animal is separation of organic 
molecules and their reorganization in new forms, brought 



106 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



about by the circuit of nerve force developed by rearrange- 
ments of nutriment substance, and traversing this automatic 
arrangement and circuit of nerve lines. 

By virtue of this principle of separation of substance 
held by organic affinity, and its reorganization, the mouthy 
by means of its apparatus of salivary glands, teeth and 
nerves, sustains a position as one of the organs or nerve 
batteries for developing nerve force. By means of its 
disintegrating apparatus, its saliva is brought in contact 
with minute parts of nutritious substance, starting inter- 
changes between nutriment substance and saliva, thus 
releasing rearranging force that is taken up by the 
surrounding nerves. There is not only the sensation of 
taste from this process, but there is also rearrangement of 
the nutriment substance by the actual rearranging force 
previously absorbed from the sun's rays by the substance. 
The rearranging process, thus started in the mouth as the 
first enlargement of the alimentary canal, is continued in a 
graded series of changes, each vital organ retaining the 
substance surrounded by its network of nerves during the 
process of rearranging the nutritious substance — one grade 
of the series — the stomach, duodenum, intestines, lympha- 
tics, arteries, veins, lungs and others, all serving as nerve 
batteries, that receive by their system of nerves nerve force 
that is sent to the automatic switch. 

The process of digestion is well known to be mainly 
under the influence and control of the system of nerves 
that invest and twine around the digestive apparatus. The 
digestive apparatus is not only provided with nerves to 
regulate the process of digestion, but it is also provided 
with a system of nerves that gather the nerve force pro- 
duced or developed by the digestive process. In the 
language of Gray's Descriptive Anatomy, nerves distributed 
from the sympathetic cords, " Have a remarkable tendency 
to form intricate plexuses, which encircle the blood vessels 
and are conducted by them to the viscera." This tendency 
of the nerves from the sympathetic, to encircle the blood 
vessels and viscera with network of nerves, by the view 
here presented, accomplishes the double purpose of gather- 
ing force set free by the rearranging processes that take 
place within the viscera, molecular interchangings and 
rearrangements of nutriment occurring in successive stages 



In AUotropic Conditions. 107 



from its first entrance within the mouth until it is woven 
into tissues and built into the completed structures. 

As already noticed, the two classes of nerves that 
encircle the viscera follow the arteries and veins throughout 
their entire circuit; throughout the entire arterial course 
one class of nerves gathers force, and throughout the circuit 
of the veins, for^e is despatched to eliminate carbonic acid gas 
from the lungs. 

This power and property of the return line of nerves 
from this switch to eliminate, set free or deposit organic 
molecules, is analogous to the power and property of the 
return line of an electric circuit to eliminate, set free, or 
deposit from battery and galvanizing fluids, inorganic 
molecules and elements. In a Smee battery, hydrogen is 
eliminated from the platina plate, or return line, but in a 
sulphate of copper battery, the hydrogen, instead of being 
eliminated as gas, unites with oxygen of the copper oxide, 
reproducing water which remains in the solution. The 
hydrogen is got rid of by combining it with substance 
within the battery ; the water thus formed becomes a 
useful product, and, by the union of its elements, force is 
also set free, augmenting the battery force. A somewhat 
analogous mode of getting rid of carbonic acid gas, elimi- 
nated by animals, occurs in some classes of low orders. 
Corals, clams, snails and many shell animals, instead of 
eliminating carbonic acid gas, like birds and quadrupeds, 
concentrate the gas in the earthy matter of their shells, 
They withdraw oxygen, condensed in water, as fish do; but 
the return force, instead of eliminating the gas induces its 
combination with earthy matter to form their shells, The 
mouths of snails have been pasted shut for years without 
smothering them— an effect that would have occurred but 
for the mode provided for getting rid of the deleterious 
acid. 

The power and function of the nerve currents from 
different ganglia, to eliminate, or to deposit anatomical 
elements — to eliminate saliva from the salivary glands ; 
bile from the liver; uric acid solutions from the kidneys, 
or to deposit in structure, bones, muscles and bonanzas, 
built into the forms of life — is analogous to the uses that 
may be derived from different groups of battery currents 
to separate, set free, or deposit different chemical products. 



108 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



The arrangement and combination of nerves that are 
distributed from the sympathetic to viscera, again form 
ganglia on their continued lines from viscera to accessory, 
or minor organs, and also again spread out in plexuses, and 
twine around these minor organs. These secondary series 
of ganglia, like those on the sympathetic cords, are collec- 
tions of nerves that are thus evidently arranged to subserve 
the same purpose as the primary groups of nerves on the 
main switch; that is, they are automatic arrangements for 
the distribution of nerve currents. The entire system of 
nerves from the sympathetic are nerves of involuntary 
life ; the force which they distribute, automatically carries 
out a predestined plan of warming and guiding the material 
molecules, and building them into the forms and structures of 
living castles. Through the influence of the agent that 
traverses the lines from the sympathetic, the rearrangement 
and the reorganization of organic matter is effected; and 
neither the brain, nor the mind, by taking thought can -add 
one line to its height, or remodel its form, complexion, 
color or composition. 

The automatic arrangement ot different lines of nerves 
to different organs and parts of the organization by which, 
in some cases, continuous processes as of secretion take 
place, and in other processes, discontinuous and periodica- 
tion occurs, as in wakefulness and sleep, in breathing, beating 
of the heart, evacual discharges from the bladder, rectum 
and liver, all point to the fact that some mode of regulating 
the supply of current to different organs exists in the sympa- 
thetic system of nerves — some mode by which it may be, 
and is, automatically increased and diminished to carry out 
the plan of organization. 

The voluntary system of nerves reveals the fact that 
through nerves which control voluntary muscular actions 
the nerve current is sent at the option of volition. The 
sympathetic system of nerves, for example, distributed to 
the hand, regulates the separation, assimilation and deposi- 
tion of its substance, in all its various forms and modifica- 
tions, while the voluntary system of its nerves regulate and 
control its movements in grasping, lifting, writing, &c, &c. — 
the one system sending optional and voluntary currents, the 
other revealing automatic and involuntary currents of nerve 
force. Each system, however, reveals the fact that nerve 



In Allotropic Conditions. 109 



currents, instead of being uniformly equal and continuous, 
are periodically increased and diminished, imparting greater 
or less degrees of force at various times. In dyspepsia, 
fright and fevers, we see digestion suspended for hours, 
days or weeks, while in locomotion and muscular work we 
see voluntary states of intensity, interspersed with volun- 
tary states of rest and inaction, all of which reveal the fact 
that the nerve lines are provided with arrangements and 
modes of regulating the force and messenger current sent 
through the nerve paths. 

The manner in which this is brought about, involves 
the study of nerves, their mode of connection, conduction 
and modes of influence, both on contiguous nerves and on 
other forms of matter. This feature or mole of regulating 
the nerve current, is here passed and reserved for future 
discussion. 

Yoltaic batteries, not only develop chemical force which 
can be transferred to plating baths and galvanizing troughs, 
to rearrange the elements of chemical compounds, but the 
current, in its circuit, also at other points, develops both 
heat and magnetism, and the nerve current shows not onlv 
rearranging force in rearranging organic compounds, but it 
also reveals the properties of developing and manifesting heat, 
muscular force and intelligence. 

The discussion of the analogies between the modes of 
developing magnetism by voltaic currents, and the develop- 
ment of muscular force by nerve currents, is reserved for 
separate discussion ; but there is one feature of their 
relations that brings muscular force into very intimate rela- 
tion with the vital processes controlled by the sympathetic 
system of nerves. This feature is, that nerves which 
influence and control involuntary muscular actions, such as 
beating of the heart, expansion of the lungs, peristaltic 
motions of the bowels, &c , &c , are associated with nerves 
from the sympathetic system in very close relations, but 
not joined by direct union. Nerves from the two systems 
meet in the ganglia of the sympathetic, and are enveloped 
in the same sheaths reaching the heart, stomach and other 
vital organs, in this close proximity ; but the microscope 
has revealed the fact that notwithstanding this close 
proximity, the nerve fibres from each system retains its 
individuality and never merges into that of the other. 



110 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



Each line of nerves, whether from the sympathetic cords 
or from the spinal marrow, are continuous on themselves 
as distinct fibres, often lying side by side, but insulated, 
each from the other. Arranged in this way the two systems 
of nerves exert a mutual influence over each other ; each 
contributes to the harmonious action of the other, but also 
forms an arrangement by which disorders to one system 
works injuries to the other system ; each contributes towards 
the functions of life, but at the same time each may inter- 
fere with the other's functions. When the celebrated 
phisiologist, Flourens, discovered the extremely dangerous 
sensitiveness of that part of the spinal marrow where it 
joins the brain, he imagined that he had discovered the seat 
of life. The prick, or penetration by the finest needle, of 
the spinal cord at this point will instantly destroy any 
animal. The nerves that control the expansion of the 
lungs, connect with the cord at this point, and, if severed, 
or their function of conduction is destroyed, the lungs can 
neither absorb oxygen nor expel carbonic acid — the stop- 
page of either function being fatal to animal lite. 

The peristaltic motion of the bowels, and the rotating 
movement of the stomach, are brought about by the nerves 
of animal life, while the interchanging processes of the 
nutriment matter within is governed by the automatic 
system, yet each is essential to the other, and mutually 
governing each other by the principle of induction. 

In the phenomena of human life the action and principle 
of induction is a very broad and important one, both in the 
explanation and its use in both normal and abnormal 
phenomena. 

In discussing the influence and power of nerve force 
the phenomena of induction will be referred to frequently 
as the force which, in one condition traverses the animal 
nerves, and in other conditions exerts equally important 
influences by other modes of propagation. 

Physiologists have traced and discovered that all nerves 
which influence the shortening and lengthening of muscles 
and muscular fibres, extend from the muscles and fibres to 
the spinal marrow ; and have also determined that all bodily 
motions, both voluntary and involuntary, are brought about 
by these primary motions ot elongating and contracting 
muscular fibres. In other words, there is not only a system 



In Atlotropic Conditions. Ill 



of nerves from the heart, stomach and other vital organs, 
that are arranged in the ganglia of the sympathetic switch 
to automatically carry on the processes of life, to weave, 
and mould, and build the material substance into living 
structures through the processes of growth, but there is 
also another system ol nerves extending from thc i se vital 
organs to the sympathetic switch ; but instead of stopping 
in the automatic switch, these nerves pass through the 
ganglia and connect with the spinal marrow. These two 
classes of nerves belong to Bichat's division of nerves of 
animal and of organic life. The animal nerves govern 
bodily motions of muscular fibre, the organic division 
govern molecules for growth. The two systems extend 
from the vital organs to the ganglia together, and often 
enveloped in a tubular tissue. 

From an electrical point of view, these nerves lying 
side by side, but not joined by substance, to conduct the 
nerve current, are analogous to two wires lying side by 
side, but insulated from each other. When one of these 
wires forms an electric circuit with a voltaic battery, the 
other wire is influenced by the current, and manifests, what 
is known to electricians, as an induction current. The 
induced electric current is a discontinuous, or pulsating 
current, being increased and diminished by augmenting, or 
retarding the primary current. 

This brief glance at the anatomical arrangements of 
nerves for muscular work in the spinal cord, and of the 
arrangement of nerves for molecular work in the automatic 
switch, is not for the purpose of discussing anatomical 
facts, but for the purpose of fixing clearly in the mind the 
prominent fact that nerve force, instead of being " brain 
work" or manufactured by the brain, is developed at the other 
end of the nerves ; that instead of being primarily derived 
and sent from the brain to the lungs, stomach and vital 
organs, it is developed within these organs from condensed 
sunbeams that have been absorbed and retained in the 
substance of the food we eat, the water we drink, and the 
air we breathe. 

There are low classes of animals in which no brain, or 
anything that would answer for a brain, has been discov- 
ered ; but they have nerves and manifest nerve powers. 
They have arrangements of a few ganglia corresponding 



112 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



with the automatic or sympathetic nerve switch, and a 
nerve that corresponds with the spinal cord that governs 
their motions ; one class regulating the function of growth, 
the other that of locomotion. 

In the phenomena of human life, disordered states of 
one part of the organism become manifest in disordered 
functions in other parts of the body. A severe burn on 
the body may bring on chronic diarrhea ; indigestion, or 
a sour stomach, may bring on severe headache ; these, and 
similar interferences, that often develop abnormal func- 
tions, reveal capacities of the force that traverses the 
nerves to transmit abnormal, as well as normal effects, just 
as undesirable results obtain in galvanizing from deranged 
battery action. 

One of the first things noticed by students is the analogy 
between the functions of vegetable leaves, and. the lungs of 
animal life. Leaves breathe carbonic acid gas ; lungs oxygen 
gas. 2 he absorption of carbonic acid imparts vigor of 
growth to the vegetable kingdom- ; its expulsion is essential to 
impart energy to animals. The early investigators of 
organic processes inferred that carbonic acid, imbibed by 
vegetation, was decomposed, and its carbon appropriated 
by the growing plant. Other investigators traced the 
absorption of oxygen within the lungs, and the expulsion 
of carbonic acid, and inferred a combustion of carbon. 
Volumes have been written on this mutual relation of 
vegetable leaves to animal lungs, and for generations, 
instead of its decomposition and its recomposition being 
stated as an inference, this decomposition of the acid, and 
its recomposition within the animal, have been stated as 
positive facts ; and to question its accuracy will, to some, 
seem almost a sacrilege ; yet the evidence which has 
accumulated from the labors of later investigators, almost 
irresistibly shows that the leaves of vegetation do not 
decompose carbonic acid, nor do the processes of animal 
life regenerate this compound. 

" The building up of the vegetable, then, is effected by 
the sun, through the reduction of chemical compounds 
We eat the vegetable, and we breathe the oxygen of the 
air ; and in our bodies the oxygen which had been lifted 
from the carbon and hydrogen by the action of the sun, 
again falls towards them, producing animal heat and devel- 



In Allotropic Conditions. 113 



oping animal forms." We have, in this extract, such 
an elegant blending of fact and inference that, 
without special attention, it would be difficult to 
tell which is fact and which is inference. A 
few words, however, will set the matter right. We know 
that the sun's rays impinge on the growing leaves of veg- 
etation ; that the leaves are surrounded by the material 
substance of carbonic acid ; that both the rays and the 
acid are absorbed, or disappear in the leaves ; and the time 
honored inference is, that the rays have decomposed the 
acid, and the plants have appropriated its carbon. We 
also know that oxygen is absorbed by the blood within 
the lungs, and carbonic acid expelled ; and the time- 
honored inference is that the absorbed oxygen has entered 
into combination with carbon somewhere within the body, 
and formed carbonic acid. Neither the decomposition of 
the acid has been traced, nor its re-composition discovered 
— both are inferred. 

There is no question but that carbonic acid is absorbed 
by vegetation ; and no question but that oxygen is absorbed 
and the acid expelled from the animal; but there is a 
question whether carbonic acid is decomposed into its 
primary chemical elements ; there is a question whether 
these primary elements are chemically recomposed and 
regenerated. within the animal body ; there is a question as 
to how the vital forces of growth are developed and become 
manifest in growth of vegetation by reason of this disap- 
pearance of the sun's rays and carbonic acid within the 
vegetable leaves ; and there is also a question as to how 
the vital energies of nerve power are developed — emerge 
and become manifest as a result of the absorption of 
oxygen and expulsion of carbonic acid from the animal. 
We also eat the animal and derive quite as much nourish- 
ment and energy therefrom as from the vegetable. 

It is not the design, in this publication, to follow car- 
bonic acid through plant and animal structure, but simply 
to fix attention to the fact that nerve force is condensed 
sunbeams. It is sufficient here to state that the labors of 
investigators tend clearly to show that carbonic acid, when 
it reaches the leaves of vegetation, absorbs light and 
undergoes an allotropic change of structure, substantially 
as oxygen does when absorbed by water, or by blood — it 



114 Identity of Light and Nerve Fi 



orce 



becomes a partner of the liquid components of vegetable 
sap. It can be discovered in all vegetable sap, and in the 
blood of animals by processes that were formerly supposed, 
or inferred, to be processes of combustion, or oxidations of 
carbon. In fermentation, these processes have since been 
ascertained to be quite different from oxidations — they are 
the separating and withdrawing a part of the matter of 
these juices as nutriment by minute living organisms, 
thus releasing carbonic acid as refuse. The process of 
fermentation, instead of oxidations, and manufacture of 
carbonic acid, simply releases and sets it free in its gaseous 
condition ; it is a process in which its absorbed force of 
concentrated sunbeams are transferred to living matter to- 
gether with nutritious matter with which it was associated. 
This, in all probability, is what takes place in the phe- 
nomena of human life ; the bioplastic forces of life, of 
which nerve force is one, release carbonic acid by with- 
drawing its associated material substance, and withdrawing 
its associated immaterial and condensed sunbeams as nerve 
force. 

The development of heat by chemical combustion is of 
so impressive a character that the early observers wildly 
concluded that heat was the prime and only agent in the 
entire world of phenomena. Among these imaginary com- 
bustions, the combustion of carbon and formation of 
carbonic acid within the animal body, has been the most 
extensively sounded. Later investigators have discarded 
the notion that heat of organic combustion is all sufficient 
to account for organic life ; but as the mysteries of galvanic 
currents were gradually unfolded many thought that the 
key to organic life was discovered in these currents. These 
notions are completely exploded, and largely discarded. 
The combined results of an army of investigators lead to 
the irresistible conclusion that neither heat from oxidation, 
nor voltaic currents are essential to organic or animal life ; 
that animal heat and nerve currents are developed by other 
modes than by the modes of chemical action. 

Carbonic acid sustains much the same relation to 
organic structures and organic forces that water sustains to 
these structures and forces ; they each serve as carriers of 
force and material. Water is essential to organic life ; but 
it is neither appropriated as water to be worked into the 



In Allotropic Conditions, 11 



•completed structures, nor is it decomposed and its elements 
.appropriated for building structure. It is not essential as 
so much oxide of hydrogen, but as a substance which 
readily absorbs immaterial agents and transfers them to 
living matter ; it is the queen of intermediate substance. 
Neither its molecules nor its component elements form a 
component part of completed tissues, or structures ; but as 
a solvent and absorbent of molecular bonanzas that are to 
be woven and built into completed structures of life, and 
as an absorbent of forces that weave and build these struc- 
tures, water is pre-eminently the most important substance 
in organic processes. It is the queen of intermediates ; but 
at the completion of living structure it is discharged from 
service. It is a chemic compound ; and no chemic sub- 
stance, no compound whose elements are held and united 
by inorganic affinity, ever receives the crown o± life. 

The allotropic line between the living and the dead is 
absolute, and founded primarily on the two classes of 
affinity. 

Water forms nearly three-fourths of the bulk of living 
things ; but it is confined entirely to channels of distribu- 
tion, and, from the completed structures of life, it is readily 
separated by evaporation. It is essential to organic pro- 
cess, but totally discarded as useless in the completed 
structures of living forms. 

What has been said of water is equally true of carbonic 
acid ; it is absorbed and becomes an active partner in the 
components of both vegetable and animal fluids, but not a 
chemical component ; it becomes an active partner by vir- 
tue of having absorbed and retained rearranging force. It 
does not form carbonates by joining these fluids, any more 
than it does in becoming absorbed in water. It passes 
through the channels of distribution with water; and, like 
this neutral chemic combination, it imparts force and 
strength by virtue of having absorbed force and power, 
and holding them for ready transfer- — parting with forces 
absorbed from sunbeams, and then resuming its own for- 
mer state of condensible gas. If carbonic acid was formed 
by combustion within the lungs or other organ, the heat 
generated by the union of oxygen and combustibles would 
become manifest ; but it is well ascertained that neither the 
lungs nor any other organ shows any special rise in tern- 



116 I (h nitty of Light and Nerve Force 



perature irom tne inferred oxidation. Animal heat is 
developed by other modes, than by turning oxygen in 
among the delicate tissues, wildly rampant with chemical 
energies and affinities, to burn and turn the beauties of 
life into the foam of inorganic dross. The most delicate 
search with thermometers, in the lungs, in the heart, blood 
vessels and capillaries, have failed to detect this inferred 
oxidation of carbon to form carbonic acid, as a mode of 
producing animal heat. Animal heat is regulated by the 
nerves ; and nerves have no control over chemical process, 
as affinities, or products. The changes of carbonic acid in 
organic process are allotropic changes of form, and not of 
composition. 

The atmosphere and the waters of the earth are com- 
pletely filled with an impalpable dust that impart to the 
sky an azure blue, and to the waters a darker shade. The 
atmosphere contains not only oxygen and carbonic acid, as 
substance that plays so important a part in organic life, 
but it also contains this azure matter charged with via- 
bility — one of the group of vital forces. Viability is the 
embodiment of germinal force. In contact with living mat- 
ter this cloud dust, as it has been called, and carbonic acid, 
unite and condense in the vegetable sap, as one mode of 
forming protoplasm. This condensation takes place as an 
effect of allotropic rays — the rays becoming enveloped and 
permeating the condensed acid with viable force, imparting 
vital energies to the protoplasm, or bioplasm thus formed, 
substantially as heat becomes enveloped, permeates, and 
imparts elasticity to water in steam. 

Investigators have followed heat from the sun's rays 
into the woody fibre of vegetation, traced it from the 
burning wood to the iron sheets of steam generators, then 
through the iron plates into the water within where it 
imparts to the water an entirely new property — that of 
elasticity — followed the absorbed heat enveloped in the 
elastic steam, as it is conveyed through hot pipes into the 
cylinders of steam engines, where this material substance, 
by virtue of its absorbed immaterial force, becomes a 
marvel of force and mystery. An analogous fact is true 
of carbonic acid ; the allotropic rays of the sun, with their 
property of rearranging the molecules of matter, may be 
traced into carbonic acid, condensing the acid and becoming 



In AUotropic Conditions. 117 



absorbed with viable force — thus imparting to material 
substance forces and energies that may be traced into the 
animal kingdom, to reappear as nerve and viable germinal 
forces. 

The condensation of oxygen, and the condensation of 
carbonic acid, without chemical affinity, are facts well 
known and established. A given bulk of nitrogen gas will 
absorb an atmospheric proportion of oxygen gas and the 
mixed gases immediately shrink into less space than was 
occupied by the nitrogen alone. Oxygen becomes absorbed 
by water, and the water by the absorption of the gas, 
shrinks in volume and occupies less space than previous to 
its absorption. The same fact of shrinking occurs by the 
absorption' of carbonic acid in water. A similar occurrence 
may be seen by dropping sugar into water — the water 
shrinks and occupies less space after dissolving the sugar 
than when it was pure. These are only a few of the 
examples that might be noticed, but they all represent 
power. It requires force to compress water into a less bulk, 
but its affinity for sugar produces this effect. And so of 
the gases of oxygen and carbonic acid, it requires power 
to compress them to a liquid state, but their affinity for 
water accomplish their condensation. When the primary 
elements unite by the influence of chemical affinity, heat 
is superceded and displaced — the chemical affinity remain- 
ing in a dormant or latent state and holds the elements in 
union. When gases, or $>ther substances unite by the 
allotropic force of organic affinity, producing condensation 
without eliminating heat, both the heat and re-arranging 
affinity remain dormant, or latent, to reappear as a current 
traversing animal nerves — a result of interchanging pro 
cesses which take place within the stomach and other 
organs. Processes of molecular interchange occurring so 
largely within the stomach, renders this organ one of the 
most important of animal organs for the development of 
nerve force. 

Having already exceeded the designed limits of this 
pamphlet, the further discussion of the origin, uses and 
destiny of nerve force, is deferred for a future publication. 

In following the identity of light and nerve force, in 
further arguments, I propose showing that condensed sun- 
beams are the enrolling agents of animal and vegetable 



118 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



as well as their intelligence ; and to trace the 
dividing line between instinct and intelligence from an 
absolute and allotropic view. 

The difference between the animate and the .inanimate, 
between the living and the dead, between, for example, 
the blood sucking instincts and muscular agility that is 
embodied in the material substance of a live flea, when 
compared with the latent chemical inert energies embodied 
in a grain of sand or a dead flea, is vast and appreciable ; 
and there is no truth which the labors of a host of investi- 
gators has more clearly established than the fact that these 
vast differences are founded on the altered states of matter, 
due to the displacement therefrom of one class of energies, 
and superceding them with another class of energies. It 
is absolutely certain that in organic life, and in organic 
processes, chemical affinities, chemical processes, and chem- 
ical substance, are totally superceded and displaced by a 
new and distinct group of energies. This supercedence of 
chemical energies in the principal elements of organic 
matter has been traced — we have seen that carbon, hydro- 
gen, phosphorus, nitrogen, oxygen and all the primary 
elements of organic matter are well known in allotropic 
states devoid of chemical affinity. 

Volumes have been written on the inherent property of 
iron to respond to magnetic attractions. By suspending a 
bar of iron within a bottle, by a small cord, and bringing 
a magnet near the bottle, tfce bar swings towards the 
magnet by magnetic attraction ; yet, if the iron be thrown 
into another allotropic condition by combining it with 
oxygen and sulphuric acid it becomes totally indifferent to 
the magnet. The atoms of the iron bar may all be 
suspended within the bottle, some of them being nearer 
the magnet than in their previous suspension, yet the atoms 
will be totally indifferent to the magnetic attraction. 

The above is a simple illustration and type of the dis- 
placement of well known properties caused by allotropic 
modifications of imponderable agents. 

By virtue of similar displacements of inorganic forces 
and inorganic properties and superceding them with an 
allotropic class of energies and properties adapted to the 
organic world, we perceive the working of a principle 
which carries with it the superceding of organic forces 



In Allotropic Conditions. 119 



and properties by spiritual forces and agencies adapted to 
other allotropic states of existence. Huge volumes of 
inferences of what becomes of man at death — predicated 
on the so-called inherent properties of matter and brain 
work — exist, but these inferences and deductions vanish 
like thick darkness in the morning sun, when brought in 
conflict with allotropic states of matter and allotropic 
states of force. 

The inference, assumption, assertion and re-assertion, so 
persistently made during the past generation, that the 
brain translates, transmutes, and manufactures the hiero- 
glyphics of fact into mental phenomena by virtue of a com- 
bustion of its own substance — an oxidation of its compo- 
nents — and that from this burning crash of atoms, emo- 
tions, knowledge, memory, aud all mental phenomena 
emerge, are assumptions just about as self-evident as that 
conscience emerges from the melted lavas of volcanoes, 
and just about as well established by definite evidence. 
The assertion that the brain manufactures sound from the 
vibrations of matter, and vision from the quivering of 
aether, has led to such a piling of theory upon theory to 
explain the hypothetical manufacture o£ all imponderable 
agents and their groups in living things, as to put to blush 
the hypothetical powers of pagan idols. The imaginary 
combustion of brain substance, if it occurs, as an actual 
fact, from severe mental labor, would leave the human 
skull, at times, as empty as a coal-bin from which its coal 
had been burnt ; but the absurdity of this conjecture is so 
intense that no one looks for this kind of evidence to con- 
firm this long taught theory. 

The assumption that nerve power and mental states 
are produced by brain combustion, carries with it the 
necessary inference that when the brain ceases to exist, 
mind and nerve force being but temporary thrills of their 
burning crash of atoms, must also fail to be produced. 
This inference being founded on non-existent facts of brain 
combustion, falls into blank oblivion — like inverted sha- 
dows from obstructed light — by the luminous facts of allo- 
tropic states of matter and force. 

The group of forces and components of man's inner 
self, as well as his outer self, are a group of indestructible 
elements, gifted with an inborn sense of immortality ; its 



120 Identity of Light and Nerve Force 



nerve force, as one member of this group, and as an allo- 
tropic condition of light, has the range of the universe — its 
life period eternity. Inferences and deductions of annihila- 
tion, or of an eternal sleep, have no analogies in" the world 
of fact or phenomena. 

The facts which have been grouped as allotropic condi- 
tions are as familiar as sunshine. The vital group of forces 
that lie slumbering in the seeds we plant are latent — an 
allotropic state that, in the phenomena of life, is not less 
important than the active states with their more prominent 
manifestations. The inferences and deductions founded on 
the narrow range of inorganic matter, as revealing total 
death, are but inverted shadows, instead of actual fact, 
when applied to other states of matter or force. The in- 
ference of an eternal sleep is a spectral illusion, in direct 
conflict with the universe of fact. The five conditions of 
matter, and the five conditions of force, reveal an endless 
circle of change of never ending succession ; and during the 
brief period of man's three score years and ten, the con- 
densed sunbeams that traverse his nerves as nerve force, 
gathers information and enrolls knowledge, which is there 
grouped with indestructible force. 

The group of forces that compose man's inner self are 
so completely interlinked that the discussion of any one of 
them also involves, to a more or less extent, the discussion 
of the others. These links are especially true of viability 
and muscular force with nerve force. 

In presenting further arguments in support of the iden- 
tity of light and nerve force, some of the allotropic condi- 
tions of viability will be noticed. 

In discussing muscular force, from an allotropic point 
of view, its presence in the inorganic world be traced, and 
it will also be shown that the influence of nerve force over 
animal muscles, has its allotropic analogy and correllate con- 
dition in the opening of flowers and movement of vegetable 
fibres, by the allotropic state of nerve force in impinging 
sunbeams ; to which will be added the facts and evidence 
of tangible experiments. 



IDENTITY OF LIGHT AND NERVE FORCE 
IN ALLOTROPIC CONDITIONS. 



-o- 



OOUTBKTTS 



Page. 
I. Identity of Light and Nerve Force in Allo- 

tropic Conditions 5 

II. Allotropic Conditions of Matter and Allotropic 

Conditions of Force 10 

III. Allotropic Properties of Forces 12 

IV. Light Gathers Information, Enrolls Knowledge 

and Embodies Actual Force. 13 

V. What Is Light 28 

VI. Vision 29 

VII. Sound and Hearing Due to Non-Luminous 

Conditions of Light 44 

VIII. Undulatory Theories 48 

IX. Smell, Feeling and Taste 68 

X. Allotropic States of Organic Forces 70 

XL Allotropic States of Heat — Latent Heat 74 

XII. Allotropic States of Organic Forces — Agents 

Other than Heat 77 

XIII. Origin, Uses and Destiny of Nerve Force 96 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1879, 

By J. Chandler, 

in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 

All rights reserved. 



tatity of tyjty iai fm fan 

IN ALLOTROPIC CONDITIONS. 



When it became known that LIGHTNING and ELEC- 
TRICITY were identical ; known that the subtile agent pro- 
duced by rubbing amber with a woolen cloth was IDENTICAL 
with the fierce bolt that dashes from cloud to cloud, and that 
the untamed steed had been caught and harnessed, it gave a 
new and strong throb to the pulse of human life — bringing into 
the van of human progress batteries and magnets, plating baths 
and electric lights, telephones and telegraphs, all impelled by 
the subtile thunderbolt. 

And, when it is known that NERVE FORCE and SUN- 
BEAMS are absolutely IDENTICAL ; known that the subtile 
AGENT that traverses the nerves of the human frame is the 
same identical agent that traverses space as LIGHT, a new era 
will dawn on the human mind. And when it is known that- 
NERVE FORCE is no more confined to animal NERVES 
than electricity is confined to telegraph wires, no more confined 
to nerve matter than heat is confined to furnaces, its study 
becomes intensely fascinating . 

When it becomes known that heat and electricity, and all 
imponderable agents exist in five distinct allotropic conditions ; 
that NERVE FORCE radiates through space as LIGHT; con- 
denses into and permeates organic structures like animal heat, 
then reappearing in the third allotropic condition to traverse 
the nerves by conduction, the knowledge gives a new theme for 
human thought, and a new force for useful application. 

As nerve force, this queen of imponderables, in each and 
all her allotropic conditions, gathers information, enrolls 
knowledge, and embodies actual force — imparting to organic 
life instinct, intelligence and power, the trinity group of knowl- 
edge, wisdom, and power to weave, and build, and guide 
organic structures. 



SHOWING ABSOLUTE IDENTITY OF LIGHT AND 

NERVE FORCE IN SENTIENT AND 

FORCE QUALITIES, 



Prepaid, by Mail to Any Address, for 50 Cents, 

BY F. M. CHANDLER, TITUSVILLE, PA. 



Identity of Light and Nerve Force 

IN ALLOTROPIC CONDITIONS. 



Further Arguments in Support of the Fact that 

Ifflf ill ISSfS lllfl HI fUtii!, 

WILL BE PUBLISHED, 

And the subject discussed in the following sub-divisions : 
Origin, Uses and Destiny of Nerve Force, continued. 
Condensed Sunbeams the Enrolling Agent of Instinct. 



Dividing Line between Human Intelligence and 
Instincts, from an Allotropic Point of View. 



Muscular Force and its x\llotropic Conditions. 



yl ability, (or the germinal force,) and its allotropic 
Condition. 



Mind Beading and Spiritual Manifestations, from an 
Allotropic Yiew. 

Allotropic Relief for Nervous Exhaustion. 



UBRARY OF CONGRESS 




003 653 835 1 



:,fj 



